By Venus Upadhayaya Courtesy The Epoch Times

An American–Canadian enterprise is claiming that corrupt actors within a former Sri Lankan government fraudulently helped Chinese state affiliates to hijack its legitimate development rights and work products for a clean energy project at the Hambantota port.

Since last year, Sri Lankan national media has highlighted the controversy as the nation has incurred massive Chinese debts, even as revenue from the U.S.–Canadian project would have helped Sri Lanka service its debt to China.

In July 2020, Canadian-based developer Greenlink Global Consulting Inc. (Greenlink) filed $400 million in damage claims with the Sri Lanka attorney general. This case will be referred to a Sri Lankan court of law for decision.

Greenlink also is calling for the U.S. Congress to approve the Eagle Act, which it claims will facilitate justice in such international cases of corruption and further curb such dealings.

Work for Naught

In 2009, Sri Lanka opened itself to foreign direct investment and invited foreign investors to do business in the Hambantota port. It subsequently started its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) power station under its flagship Lanka Aloka project near the Kerewalapitiya Yugadhanavi thermal power station, about six miles from the capital Colombo.

Greenlink was already involved along with its affiliates in waste-to-energy projects in the aerospace and defense sector, as well as in high-end tourism in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. It introduced Sithe Global Power Inc. (Sithe), a fully owned subsidiary of Blackstone Group, in response to the Lanka Aloka project.

Blackstone is one of the largest asset managers in the world and a leading global private equity firm, according to Ceylon Today, which first broke the story of Greenlink’s project purportedly being highjacked and has continued to investigate the claim.

After doing our due diligence on that [Lanka Aloka] project for about six to eight months, we abandoned the project due to economic reasons, as well as we found that the best location to do an LNG infrastructure project would be the location Hambantota,” Greenlink President G. Michael Fernando told The Epoch Times over the phone from Toronto.

At that time, state-owned Chinese affiliates were building the Hambantota port and it was underutilized and at the same time, it was the best location for us to do the LNG project given that the international shipping route is in close proximity to the Hambantota port,” he said.

Greenlink, thus backed by its feasibility studies from extensive work in Sri Lanka, brought forward a U.S.-backed investment valued at $1.4 billion called the Hambantota Energy Project (HEP). It submitted to the Sri Lanka Port Authority in May 2011 a conceptual proposal for HEP for a 25-year lease over 70 hectares (about 173 acres) of land bordering the port.

The HEP involved an import and regasification terminal for liquified natural gas and a cycle power plant for distribution to individual and industrial users along the coast. It was aiming to support 1,200MW of electric power to the national grid and particularly serve the tourism industry along Sri Lanka’s coast that contributes substantially to the country’s economy.

Sithe Global entered into an exclusive memorandum of understanding with the board of investment in Sri Lanka for this project. This is the Sri Lankan entity that encourages foreign direct investments. And this was recommended by the senior officials who are now in the current administration who are fully aware of this project,” said Fernando, adding that at the time, Sri Lanka’s current prime minister was the country’s president and the current finance minister was heading the board of investment.

And we had the American Embassy officials who witnessed the signing of this exclusive memorandum of understanding giving exclusivity to this LNG infrastructure project in Hambantota,” he said.

At this point, Sithe entered into a confidentiality and non-circumvention agreement” with two China state affiliates, China Harbour Engineering Co. Ltd. (CHEC) on Dec. 19, 2012, and with China Huanqiu Contracting & Engineering CORP (HQC) on Dec. 24, 2012, to develop the pipeline and the regasification plant.

Fernando claims that until 2015, there were delays due to waiting for energy reviews and policy decisions. After technical presentations to the Sri Lankan government, including a presentation to the country’s parliament in December 2015, officials from Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy requested” Greenlink to bring the Canadian government into the project, to speed up the process.

So in February 2016, the Government of Canada through Canadian Commercial Cooperation (CCC), that is a crown agency of the Canadian government, informed the Ministry of Finance Secretary about their interest in pursuing this project,” said Fernando. He said that it was rare for Canada to offer the sovereign guarantee to a country for a project of this magnitude.

And then the government of Sri Lanka at that time, including the former president, as well as the former prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, all were informed duly by the Canadian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka,” Fernando said.

The Epoch Times has a copy of a letter written by then-Canadian High Commissioner Shelley Whiting to Sri Lanka’s then-minister of finance, Ravi Karunnayake, on March 15, 2016, about CCC’s support for Greenlink. Fernando asserted that the high commission got a reply only after two months, and it lacked clarity.

Project Hijacked

Fernando says that the former Sri Lankan government made Greenlink deliberately run from pillar to post despite such high-end communications, while it eventually gave the project along with Greenlink’s confidential feasibility” studies in May 2016 to the Chinese. Memoranda of understanding with the China affiliates were signed by Sri Lanka in July 2016.

And while we were proceeding with this process, two ministers of the Yahapalana government who were not in compliance went to China, handed over our project and feasibility studies to them. So the issue is when we approached former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his office, his secretary, and the advisors were in a panic mode, saying they were not informed about these internal agreements, that were signed between the state-owned Chinese affiliates and Sithe Global and the assignment of the project to Greenlink,” said Fernando.

He cited this as a lack of transparency on part of Sri Lanka’s former government, as the then-Canadian high commissioner in Sri Lanka had personally met with Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe on the matter. Wickramasinghe’s personal assistant didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the controversy.

This project was definitely hijacked, deliberately, when one of the stakeholders like the Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy [MPE] was communicating with the Canadian High Commission, saying they want to proceed with this project,” Fernando said.

It’s hard to understand, he said, how the project could be given to China after a decade of green signals” to HEP.

The two other ministers, the minister of finance and the minister of international trade, were fully aware of this project. So why when one stakeholder and one minister of power and renewable energy are communicating with the Canadian government to go ahead with the project, why do they go at the same time in May to Beijing and hand over our project to them?

Basically, the studies they handed over were our studies, they were subcontracted by the terms of references,” said Fernando.

Sri Lanka leased an 85 percent stake in the port in July 2017 to the Chinese for 99 years.

Greenlink registered a formal complaint about the awarding of their project to the China affiliates in December 2017 through its lawyers with the then-Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and with the Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy, but no action was taken.

Ceylon Today reports that with Sirisena’s consent, Greenlink retained Sri Lankan counsel for a mediation process on the matter in December 2018 but the process was stalled because the China affiliates didn’t respond.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry and Finance Ministry and the two China state affiliates that signed the confidentiality and non-circumvention agreement with Sithe Global didn’t immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for clarification on the matter.

America’s Eagle Act

Fernando said corrupt leaders in a country may encourage actors such as China to gain benefits by exploiting the leaders’ gaps. The Eagle Act that’s waiting to be passed in the U.S. Congress can address some of these issues and help bring a level playing field to international business, he said.

The Ensuring American Global Leadership and Engagement, or Eagle, Act, was introduced in May by Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, who is chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. It aims to counter the policy challenges posed by China.

The People’s Republic of China (PCR) increasingly seeks to undermine that rules-based order and challenge America’s place in it. We must leverage America’s true strengths and focus on the real challenges posed by the PRC,” Meeks said when introducing the proposal.

Fernando has pitched his hopes on the Eagle Act, and he wants Congress to approve the measure as soon as possible. He said he has been a victim of corruption that exists in international business institutions.

We cannot change other nations who want to exploit the weaknesses of each country. But the thing is, when we try to go after these corrupt politicians, leaders, it is really difficult. It’s a long process,” Fernando said.

Because at the moment, business is happening not on a level playing field. In other words, you would say, in a very improper manner! So this act would put the onus on leaders who do business which endangers the security of a particular region, through corrupt acts, so they can be prosecuted!”

 Venus UpadhayayaREPORTERFollowVenus Upadhayaya reports on wide range of issues. Her area of expertise is in Indian and South Asian geopolitics. She has reported from the very volatile India-Pakistan border and has contributed to mainstream print media in India for about a decade. Community media, sustainable development, and leadership remain her key areas of interest.

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

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Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage said in Parliament recently that compost, bio-liquid fertilizer and potassium fertilizer would be provided prior to cultivation during the Maha season, scheduled to begin on October 15. The Minister said that stocks of Potassium fertilizer had arrived in Sri Lanka on October 5 and there were concerns regarding Nitrogen fertilizer, but it wouldn’t be a problem. This he said was because Nitrogen is given as an additional fertilizer. A spokesperson from the Ministry of Agriculture said that a group connected to this ministry was attempting to import Chinese organic fertilizer containing harmful microorganisms while importing the said stocks. The spokesman added that some individuals were trying to obtain a laboratory report from another country claiming that the harmful organic fertilizer is suitable for use. 

It has been revealed that a test was conducted on the Chinese fertilizer stock only after it was loaded to the vessel. Plans have been made to bring down Chinse organic fertilizer together with other fertilizers. 

The Ministry of Agriculture called for sealed bids from qualified suppliers to import 99000 metric tons of organic fertilizer. The tenders were closed on 28 July 28 and selected suppliers were announced on August 11. Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Company receiving the tender. The general procedure to follow prior to forwarding a fertilizer tender is to have a sample of fertilizer from the qualified supplier tested. This is done with the objective of analyzing whether a certain stock of fertilizer meets the standards of the Fertilizer Secretariat of the Ministry of Agriculture and those of the Sri Lanka Standards Institute. The Chinese company has been given the tender without deciding on whether the fertilizer suits Sri Lanka, meets quality and suitability requirements without obtaining fertilizer samples. Several parties complain that the general procedure hasn’t been followed; hence favouring Chelinaa Capital Corporation Pvt Ltd, which is the local representative of the fertilizer manufacturing company. Honest officials of the Ministry of Agriculture do not voice against these happenings to keep their jobs. All this happens in a political background where the local company involved belongs to an individual who is a family friend of an official serving in the Prime Minister’s Office. The tender process has been carried out with the approval of the Cabinet,” he added. 

The Fertilizer Secretariat handed over two samples of organic fertilizers to the National Plant Quarantine Service on August 31 for testing. It was confirmed that one sample contained in abundance Erwinia and Bacillus species and the other sample contained the Bacillus bacteria species. However the Ministry of Agriculture announced on September 14 that the news regarding the presence of microbes in Government imported chemical fertilizer was false and informed the public to use organic fertilizer without fear. Minister Aluthgamage said on September 17 that following a test conducted in an independent laboratory- named by the Sri Lanka Standards Institute- it was revealed that the imported fertilizer did not contain the said microorganisms and they were present instead in a fertilizer sample brought down unofficially by the department. However when testing another sample of Chinese organic fertilizer, which was brought down officially, the presence of harmful microbes was confirmed. The fertilizer contained several unrecognised bacteria species categorised as Gram positive and negative apart from Erwinia and Bacillus bacteria species. The report states that the fertilizer should not be brought down to the country for any reason. 

By the time the test results were released the vessel containing the Chinese organic fertilizer had been ready to travel. The vessel was expected to reach Singapore on September 2 and later Sri Lanka within 3-4 days, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed. He said that the import of fertilizer was suspended temporarily after it was confirmed that harmful microorganisms were present in the fertilizer. 

The following four satellite images are of the vessel named ‘Hippo Spirit’ which is carrying the controversial stock of chemical fertilizer meant to be offloaded in Sri Lanka 

Colombo Commercial Fertilizers Ltd and Ceylon Fertilizer Company operate as the government party when importing and distributing fertilizer. The spokesperson said that plans have been made to import the harmful fertilizer somehow. The Chinese company has signed an agreement with the Colombo Commercial Fertilizers Ltd and Ceylon Fertilizer Companies acknowledging the requirement to have the certificate of the National Plant Quarantine Service prior to importation. 

Despite that the fertilizer has been imported and this should be thoroughly investigated. Even though a sample was not tested prior to loading the fertilizer to the vessel, the Ministry of Agriculture has said that the general procedure to follow prior to importing anything has been followed in this regard. Yet the National Plant Quarantine Service confirms that the said procedure has not been followed. Samples were tested after the vessel was loaded and the testing was done through an institute recommended by Sri Lanka Standards Institute. 
These tests had not revealed all the information about harmful substances. The details in that report were sufficient to gant permission for the vessel to leave. 

unhappy 

However that procedure isn’t in accordance with the law practised in Sri Lanka when importing fertilizer. According to that law the test should be conducted in the country. The National Plant Quarantine Service test confirmed the presence of harmful microbes. The manufacturing company has informed the Government that they cannot accept the test reports and in turn requested to conduct a test through an independent institute; not connected to both countries. Fertilizer is imported under Cabinet approval after which a team is assigned to carry out the work. If by any chance the newly obtained international certificate confirms that there is no presence of harmful microorganisms the fertilizer will be brought to the country. The Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka had expressed his disapproval after the agriculture minister refused to accept the harmful organic fertilizer. Powerful Government officials are influencing officers at the Ministry of Agriculture and Agriculture Department, testing this Chinese fertilizer, to refrain from opposing the import of the said fertilizer. Several bigwigs are trying to obtain approval to import fertilizer claiming that the country will face a massive food crisis if there is no fertilizer for the forthcoming Maha season; making their requests to use the fertilizer even if there are microbes,” he added. 

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The government has not focused on the standards explained by Sri Lanka Standards Institute by SLS: 1704:2021 considering the international standards when importing fertilizer. The standards indicate that organic fertilizer should be without smell, is breakable and wet” 
-K. B. Goonarathne Former Director General of Agriculture

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Former Director General of Agriculture K. B. Goonarathne said that the organic fertilizer manufacturing company in China is famous for supplying organic fertilizers to many countries. However the Sri Lankan representatives have tried to import waste organic fertilizer containing microbes to Sri Lanka. A sample test is conducted prior to giving fertilizer tenders to test the standard of fertilizer and this process has not been followed in this situation. The government has not focused on the standards explained by Sri Lanka Standards Institute by SLS: 1704:2021 considering the international standards when importing fertilizer. The standards indicate that organic fertilizer should be without smell, is breakable and wet. The ingredients used cannot contain prohibited or infectous substances and should be compatible with SLS 1324. Factory waste, human waste, municipal waste, clinical waste cannot be used as waste material. Organic fertilizer should not spread diseases. Properly sterilized animal waste can be used. Acidity, conductivity, percentage of sand and the amount of particles in ingredients which should be present in the production of organic fertilizer are clearly explained. The chemical requirement should be 5% nitrogen, 1% phosphate, 2% potassium, 0.5% magnesium and 15% carbonic carbon. Biuret and melamine (a type of urea) are indicated as added ingredients. The fertilizer should be free of any kind of microorganism. When it comes to poisonous materials, the amounts per kilogram are; cadmium 1.5 mg, chromium 50 mg, lead 30 mg, mercury 0.5 mg, arsenic 3 mg and nickel 40 mg per kg. There cannot be antibiotic waste, any organic waste, plastic waste or pesticides. Despite these standards being specified, the government is trying to import harmful Chinese organic fertilizers. There are plans to misplace agreements, cabinet approvals and tender reports related to the import of organic fertilizer; in the same way NMRA data were deleted.” he added. 

‘Made specially for Sri Lanka’ 

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Even though the manufacturing company supplies organic fertilizer to many countries it is sending Chinese wastes to Sri Lanka. They will be brought down under the label Manufactured specifically for Sri Lanka”
– Nayanaka Ranwella Environmentalist 

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hat is imported as Chinese organic fertilizer is Chinese waste and wastes containing heavy metals. Even though the manufacturing company supplies organic fertilizer to many countries it is sending Chinese wastes to Sri Lanka. They will be brought down under the label Manufactured specifically for Sri Lanka”. These wastes from China, brought after deceiving the people, has landed agriculture in a crisis. A company producing high quality manufacturing fertilizer-specifically for Sri Lanka-raises suspicition. Plans are being made to import the fertilizer and officers of the Agriculture Department and the Ministry of Agriculture are influenced for the said purpose.” he added.  

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A Letter of Credit has been opened through a state bank to import the fertilizer stock and this sum will have to be paid to China whether the stock is brought or not because of the agreements made beforehand. The government is planning to import harmful fertilizer in that manner”
-Anuradha Thennakoon Chairman of the All Island Farmers’ Collective

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Chairman of the All Island Farmers’ Collective Anuradha Thennakoon said that plans have been made to import harmful fertilizer to Sri Lanka through other methods after changing laboratory reports and officers are manipulated to do so. A Letter of Credit has been opened through a state bank to import the fertilizer stock and this sum will have to be paid to China whether the stock is brought or not because of the agreements made beforehand. The government is planning to import harmful fertilizer in that manner.” he added.   

Colombo Commercial Fertilizer Ltd General Director Dr. Jayantha Weerarathna said that the vessel containing Chinese fertilizer would not arrive and plans have been made to import Potassium and other fertilizers. Ceylon Fertilizer Company Chairman Janath Widanage said that the Chinese company requested to conduct another laboratory test on the fertilizer. On October 5 the satellite technology indicated that the vessel Hippo Spirit bringing fertilizer was anchored in China sea and it has remained there for 10 days since September 25. Baseless accusations were made that fertilizers were discreetly brought to the country on October 5 and 6. On October 10 a vessel carrying Potassium fertilizer will reach Colombo Port and the fertilizer will be distributed by October 12,” he added.

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Even though a Letter of Credit was opened before importing fertilizer, there is no need to make payments unless the deal has been completed. I have informed the Chinese company about the low quality fertilizer and have requested for high quality fertilizer”
– Dr. Ajantha de Silva Agriculture Department Director General 

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Agriculture Department Director General Dr. Ajantha de Silva said that any organic fertilizer containing microorganism cannot be brought to Sri Lanka. The Plant Protection Act does not provide for such import of fertilizer. Even though a Letter of Credit was opened before importing fertilizer, there is no need to make payments unless the deal has been completed. I have informed the Chinese company about the low quality fertilizer and have requested for high quality fertilizer. Any organic fertilizer brought to Sri Lanka is tested in a laboratory according to the Plant Protection Act and even if Chinese fertilizer is brought again that will be tested and there is no way fertilizer will be brought down without conducting tests. No officer in the Ministry of Agriculture or the Agriculture Department has been manipulated to permit import of fertilizer after samples were approved.” he added.

Ministry of Agriculture Secretary M.N Ranasinghe when asked whether officers in the Ministry of Agriculture and Agriculture Department are manipulated to obtain approval for harmful fertilizer and whether fertilizer would be imported again, responded by saying that he was at an urgent meeting. All efforts made to contact him later proved futile.

National Plant Quarantine Service Director Dr. Thushara Wikramasooriya said that there is no influence from higher officials and added that he was not aware of Chinese organic fertilizer and that their samples had failed the test. He said that he was only aware of fertilizer for which permits were issued.

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This isn’t a problem between the two countries

If the fertilizer meets the standards we would import it. We will not import any fertilizer harmful to our plants”

Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage speaking to the Daily Mirror said that he did not receive any letter from the Chinese Embassy expressing disapproval. The Third Officer of the Chinese Embassy sent a letter asking for an explanation regarding this and we replied. This isn’t a problem between the two countries, but one about the quality of fertilizer,” the minister said. When asked about the vessel anchored in the China Sea he said that there is no such vessel and even inquired from us whether we had seen it.

Following are excerpts of an interview done with Aluthgamage.

Journalist – Satellite technology shows that Hippo Spirit is anchored in the China Sea.
Minister: No, no, the vessel has returned.
Journalist- But the satellites show the vessel.
Minister: No, no that’s a lie. The company said that it will take back the vessel. 
Journalist- But isn’t Hippo Spirit still in the China Sea?
Minister: I do not know about that. The company said the vessel would return. The vessel arrived at Singapore. It made its return journey.
Journalist- Will Chinese fertilizer be brought after conducting the new test report?
Minister: If the fertilizer meets the standards we would import it. We will not import any fertilizer harmful to our plants.
Journalist- There are accusations that officers are manipulated to grant approval without questioning on the quality of fertilizer.
Minister: No, no one is threatened. It is a lie.
If the vessel has returned according to the Minister the satellite visuals should be unreal. 
However Ceylon Fertilizer Company President confirmed that the vessel is already anchored in the China Sea. 

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

This article is written based on information collated through consultations that were submitted as a technical report recently to Gotabaya Rajapaksa and other relevant government authorities. The consultations were among those who had been interested in dam safety and directly involved in managing the Narrowly-Missed” breach and in the reconstruction of the Parakrama Samudraya bund after the Cyclone in 1978. They considered it appropriate in sharing concerns and acquired knowledge with the public at this crucial juncture of decision-making on the safety of the aging irrigation infrastructures in Sri Lanka.

The Parakrama Samudra Reservoir was built by King Parakrama Bahu during his reign (1153-1186 AD) and it has a reservoir capacity of 116,000 acre-feet, feeding approximately 25,000 acres of paddy cultivation. This reservoir has a bund 52 feet high and 10 miles long.  

The study on Parakrama Samudra bund was undertaken owing to information and misinformation that had been widely shared and debated in the formal media, and especially in the social media, concerning Parakrama Samudra bund being proposed as a site to construct an 8-feet wide walking path. Further, it is noted that similar walking paths will be constructed on bunds of other reservoirs such as Kanthale, Udukirala Wewa, etc. 

“It appears that ad hoc decisions have been taken for reasons unknown. The lack of laws and dam safety regulations in Sri Lanka could be one of the reasons for such ad hoc decisions taken by various individuals and organisations”

Cyclone in 1978

The 1978 Cyclone started with the onset of the storm formed on November 20, 1978 over the southwest Bay of Bengal.  It intensified gradually, reaching Super Cyclonic Storm Status Category 4 Cyclone on November 23 with a gusty wind speed of 220 km/h. The 1978 Cyclone was the second strongest Super Cyclonic Storm to strike Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province since modern records began. The cyclone attained peak intensity on November 23, before making landfall in Batticaloa.  The Eastern Province was heavily affected by the cyclone.  

The cyclone had devastating impacts in Sri Lanka, killing about 915 people and an unaccounted number of cattle and other animals. An estimated more than one million people were affected, with over 250,000 buildings damaged, and one-fifth of Batticaloa’s fishing fleet destroyed. Nine of the eleven paddy stores were destroyed and 90% of the coconut plantation (about 28,000 acres) in the Batticaloa district were destroyed. Also, in Polonnaruwa District, the public and private infrastructure, paddy, and rice stored in Food Commissioners and Cooperatives, coconut cultivation, etc., were devastated.

Cyclone 1978 and Parakrama Samudra

The Cyclone reached the Parakrama Samudra bund at about 6:30 pm on November 23 and lasted till about 4:00 am on November 24. According to eyewitnesses, the height of the waves was 10 to 12 feet. Knowing the imminent catastrophic danger of overtopping leading to a breach of the bund, the Irrigation Engineer in charge of Polonnaruwa A. D. S. Gunawardana, the Government Agent Polonnaruwa Austin Fernando, and a few other officials on duty decided to be ready with a few bulldozers and retain them standby at strategic locations such as at the sluice and spillway, to breach the bund at these locations if the need arises. 

The idea behind this decision was if the predicted overnight rainfall occurred and the anticipated inflow to Parakrama Samudra did really eventuate, the inflow would have been greater than the outflow with all 10 radial gates and the sluice gates kept open. Then there was a risk of overtopping and breaching the bund. Hence, an artificially introduced breach of the bund to discharge floods along the existing channels would prevent a haphazard catastrophic breach at an unknown and unwanted location, which could inundate the heavily populated downstream areas. Such an emergency rapid drawdown is the standard practice to prevent a dam breach. Fortunately, predicted overnight rainfall was low. However, the drawdown of the reservoir continued overnight.
Following the overnight drawdown, about 2/3 of the 12-feet wide bund top road and a fair portion of the upstream shoulder were found to be slipped into the reservoir, leaving only about 1/3 of the bund top road intact. There were widespread such slips along the full length of the bund. The damaged areas were repaired with earth-fill and Ralapanawa reinstated as a short-term risk reduction measure. The upstream face of the Ralapanawa was not flattened to improve the safety margin (i.e., Factor of Safety) of the bund in case of future similar drawdowns as it was a long-term risk reduction measure to be implemented by the Government Authorities.  Therefore, consideration should be given to implementing appropriate long-term risk reduction measures.

“Several long tension cracks, sealed with tar, are present on the bitumen surfaced bund top road as seen in videos of Sri Lanka media. Most of them are located along (parallel) the bund top road, thus increasing the risk of sliding failures similar to those that occurred during “

Walking Track Proposal

Based on information available to date, the proposed walking path will be constructed on the upstream side of the bitumen surfaced bund top road where there was a sliding failure during the 1978 cyclone and floods (See Figure 1).  

Figure 1 – Typical section of the crest of the dam or bund showing the proposed walking path found in the social media, presented during the Webinar organized by the Institute of Engineers (Sri Lanka) and shown on Sri Lanka TV.

Several long tension cracks, sealed with tar, are present on the bitumen surfaced bund top road as seen in videos of Sri Lanka media. Most of them are located along (parallel) the bund top road, thus increasing the risk of sliding failures similar to those that occurred during the 1978 floods. Additional loads due to the construction of a walking path would widen and deepen those tension cracks, compromising the safety of the bund, which is not known.  
Therefore, it is the considered view that additional loading on top of the 1978 sliding mass for construction of the walking path would increase the risk of reactivating the 1978 slides during a future rapid drawdown, similar to in 1978. 

It is understood and appreciated that the Irrigation Department is currently undertaking geotechnical investigations to assess the safety margin of the bund.

“the 1978 floods It is to be stressed that this stretch of land along the bund is a critical area to ensure the safety of the bund. Identification of dam safety features such as heaving the ground, cracks, wet areas, springs, seepage locations, etc., in this area, is critical”

The highest concern is dam-safety

Based on information available, it is understood that there is a period of 741-years (i.e., from 1159 to 1900), where the performance of the bund is not documented and unknown. However, it is reported that the bund was totally breached during the colonial era. According to R. L. Brohier, the bund and the reservoir were abandoned for more than a century. 

Given that the population at risk in case of a dam break is extremely high, it appears that the consequence category of this bund is Extreme” as per the current international dam safety guidelines.  Therefore, the proposed walking path at Parakrama Samudra cannot be compared to that of the Kurunegala Wewa, Boralesgamuwa Lake, etc., constructed along the reservoir rim, and the walking paths constructed around water bodies in the suburbs of Colombo. 

It is understood that the Parakrama Samudra is formed by combining three reservoirs of unknown history. Therefore, the bund may have been raised in several stages during the 741-years associated with unknown performance. 

It is not known whether dam safety-related defects of the bund such as slips or slides, cracks, animal burrows, sinkholes, soft areas, root bowls, zones of desiccation cracking, zones of residual shear strength because of historical failures, etc., were repaired to satisfactory standards, or not. 
The aging of dams constructed of earth and rockfill material is due to time-related changes in the properties of the materials of the structure and its foundation.  As reported in a technical paper published in May 2010 by the United States Society of Dams, the aging or deterioration of embankment dams and their foundations are of concern. These concerns extend throughout the entire life of the dam until safe abandonment or demolition. 

Recent interventions on dam-safety

Given the dam safety issues associated with this controversial walking path project, the Water Forum of the Institute of Engineers in Sri Lanka conducted a Webinar on September 9, 2021 on Usage of Inland Water Bodies for Recreation”. More than 280 personnel, mainly engineers, participated in this Webinar and raised over 100 questions related to the safety of the bund. Several questions were raised on fundamental errors and potential failure modes associated with the proposed walking path. It appears that ad hoc decisions have been taken for reasons unknown. The lack of laws and dam safety regulations in Sri Lanka could be one of the reasons for such ad hoc decisions taken by various individuals and organizations. 

“Given that the population at risk in case of a dam break is extremely high, it appears that the consequence category of this bund is Extreme” as per the current international dam safety guidelines.  Therefore, the proposed walking path at Parakrama Samudra cannot be compared to that of the Kurunegala Wewa, Boralesgamuwa Lake, etc.”

As far as dam safety regulations are concerned, India is well ahead of Sri Lanka. Even Ghana in Africa has introduced Dam Safety Regulations to ensure the safe design, construction, operation, and maintenance as well as decommissioning of dams. 

Based on statistics of embankment dam failures and accidents, 48% of dam failures are related to overtopping and failures of appurtenant structures, and 46.5% are due to internal erosion.  Due to the absence of an internal filter system in this bund, not only the slope instability, but the internal erosion is also likely to be a prominent potential failure mode. 

It is understood that planning is underway to construct several fast-food outlets, toilet facilities (including a changing room”) at the toe of the bund, i.e., within the reservation area of the bund located immediately downstream of it. It is to be stressed that this stretch of land along the bund is a critical area to ensure the safety of the bund. Identification of dam safety features such as heaving the ground, cracks, wet areas, springs, seepage locations, etc., in this area, is critical.  Digging of lavatory pits, trenches, etc., could intercept permeable layers in the foundation and may trigger backward erosion tunnels” leading to piping, which is a major failure mode in embankment dams (or, bunds). Excavations in this area could lead to sides of the downstream face of the bund, compromising its safety margin.  

Should there be a need to improve the safety margin of the bund, additional stabilizing fills are to be constructed in this area over the downstream face of the existing bund.  An access road along the downstream toe of the bund is an essential item for repairs and routine maintenance of the bund. Given the proximity to the dam, this reservation area should be used to stockpile materials to be used during dam emergencies such as filter sand, crushed rock, rockfill, etc., and movement of construction machinery for maintenance and repairs. This area is an integral part of the bund, hence should not be used for either permanent or temporary constructions. Therefore, consideration should be given to providing these facilities at an alternate suitable location, perhaps close to the Government Agent’s residence, or thereabouts.

Recommendations to maintain Dam safety

Based on dam safety concerns and consequences discussed, it is recommended that,

• The crest of the bund is reserved for routine maintenance, including replacement of displaced Ralapanawa if necessary, placement of additional boulders if required, and for construction of temporary overtopping protection bund using ‘Sandbags”, as and when required.
• The stretch between the Ralapanawa and bitumen road be reserved for the construction of a wave wall to meet the dam safety requirements of future hydrological reviews to be undertaken during the service life of the reservoir and bund.
• A safe Load Capacity” be imposed on the bund top road, and arrangements are made to stop all heavy trucks plying on the bund top road as the bund has not been designed for such traffic loads.
• The bund top road is completely closed for all traffic, say from 5:30 am to 7:30 am and then from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm or as agreed by local authorities, in the preferred  2km long stretch, and then the existing bitumen surfaced bund top road to be used as the walking path (Alternatively, only the upstream-half of the bitumen surfaced bund top road to be used as the walking path while the downstream-half of the bitumen surfaced bund top road to be kept open for one-way light traffic only, subject to nominated maximum speed to ensure the safety of people using the walking path).
• An alternative walking path (For example, in the reservoir rim), be investigated which will not compromise the safety of the dam.
• The reservation area located immediately downstream of the bund is not used for developments that are been planned by the Urban Development Authority as this area is very sensitive to dam safety issues.
• The reservation area located immediately downstream of the bund, which is an integral component of the dam, be a property of the Irrigation Department for inspection and monitoring of critical dam safety features, construction of a toe access road, construction of stabilizing fills if required, stockpiling of construction materials required during dam emergencies, etc.,
• A potential failure modes analysis and Risk Assessment be undertaken in accordance with international dam safety standards.
• A Design and Safety Review of the dam and appurtenant structures be undertaken in accordance with the international dam safety standards incorporating review of geotechnical parameters of the bund and foundation, hydrology, wave run-up, seismicity, flood handling capacity, reliability of gates and instrumentation, etc., 
• Sufficient funds must be allocated to undertake Design and Safety Reviews of all Extreme” consequence category dams in Sri Lanka.
• Sufficient funds must be allocated to routine maintenance of dams (Note: Depending on their nature, some maintenance items, if not addressed in a systematic and timely manner, may eventually become dam safety issues, eventually leading to failure of dams).
• Early arrangements must be made to implement the recommendations of the Cabinet Memorandum No. 11-2020 dated October 26, 2020 on the Establishment of a Dam Safety Consultation Centre and a Dam Safety Regulatory Mechanism.

(The author can be contacted on email: bandula.kendaragama@gmail.com)

  Comments – 0

Courtesy Adaderana

The Director General of Health Services has confirmed another 23 coronavirus related deaths in the country, increasing the death toll in the country due to the virus to 13,354.

According to the figures released by the Govt. Information Department, the deaths reported today include 11 males and 12 females. 

Five of the victims are between the ages of 30-59 years while the remaining 18 are ages 60 years and above. 

Courtesy Adaderana

The Health Ministry says that another 191 persons have tested positive for Covid-19, increasing the daily count of new cases reported within today to 681.

This pushes the tally of coronavirus cases confirmed in the country thus far to 527,064.

33,211 patients infected with the virus are currently under medical care across the island while total recoveries is 480,499.

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia

Colombo, Oct 10 (News 1st) – The Government of Sri Lanka recently lifted the control prices of several essential items in bid to put an end to people lining up for hours to purchase goods.

These items are Wheat Flour, Milk Powder, Cement and LP Gas.

On Friday (8), the Government also took measures to remove these items from the list of Specified Goods, further paving the way for importers to increase their prices for the local markets.

For several months, people have been lining up daily outside state businesses to purchase milk powder, rice, LP gas and other essential items.

In late September 2021, Rice Mill owners announced the new retail price for rice, following the government decision to lift control prices.

This move came after the government declared a state of emergency over the food shortages on August 31st and imposed rationing.

It forced farmers to sell their rice to a state agency and seized some from private warehouses.

A shortage of foreign currency caused by a pandemic recession has unleashed the shortages of food, medicines and other essential items for the island nation of 21 million people.

Central bank Governor Nivard Cabraal told reporters on Thursday that he had authorized some $50m to get the release of containers of milk powder blocked in Colombo port for the past three months.

As soon as the control prices were lifted, Milk Powder importers were first to increase their prices.

According to the revised prices, a packet of 1 kg of milk powder which was sold at Rs. 945 will be sold at Rs. 1,195.

The 400g milk powder packet which was sold at Rs. 380 will be now sold at Rs. 480.

One of the key players in the Sri Lankan LP Gas market, Laughs Gas said the price of Gas will also be increased.

Speaking to News 1st, the Chairman of Laughs Gas said, the revised prices will be announced within the next week.

When we inquired Litro Gas Ltd of a possible price increase, a spokesperson at Litro confirmed that a final decision regarding a price hike is yet to be taken.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed Trade Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena and State Minister of Cooperatives, Marketing Development and Consumer Protection Lasantha Alagiyawanna not to allow any shortages or unreasonable increases in market prices of essential commodities whose price controls have been removed.

The stocks of rice imported to Sri Lanka are due to be brought into the country on Sunday (10) and Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardena said that a kilogram of rice will be provided to the general public at a price less than 100 rupees.

H. L. D. Mahindapala

C.V. Wigneswaran, the former Supreme Court judge, is the odd man out in Tamil politics. The  main characteristic that separates him from his rival Tamil politicians is his chronic tendency to belittle and/or demonise the Sinhala-Buddhists consistently in a desperate bid to elevate Tamil culture and history to a superior status – a corrosive and deceitful tactic which is detrimental to reconciliation, peace and communal harmony. In the absence of a progressive, or constructive political agenda (as Chief Minister he failed to contribute anything substantial to change the conditions of the Northern Province) he pursues opportunistic politics based essentially on provocative racist attacks on the Sinhala-Buddhists. His notable contribution to Tamil politics as Chief Minister was to pass a resolution denigrating the Sinhala-Buddhist leaders. Demonising the Sinhala-Buddhists has been his key tool to score points over his Tamil rivals. This is the card he plays to convince the Tamil electorate that he is superior to his Tamil rivals in combatting the Sinhala-Buddhists whom he portrays as the enemy of the Tamils. His relentless racist attacks are aimed primarily at proving that, after Velupillai Prabhakaran, he is the next best bet to confront the Sinhala-Buddhists, the enemy. So, he acts as Prabhakaran’s doppelganger bent on continuing the ethnic war against the South ceaselessly.

If Prabhakaran who led the most powerful militarised force of the Tamils mobilised within Sri Lanka ended up as a miserable failure in Nandikadal what can the cheap  racist rants of Wigneswaran deliver to the Tamil people? Nevertheless, he takes every opportunity that comes his way to devalue the historical and cultural achievements of the Sinhala-Buddhists mostly with pseudo historical claims and theoretical yarns. His latest attack on Prof. G.  L. Peiris’s speech delivered in Bologna, Italy, (Colombo Telegraph,  20/9/21) is the latest anti-Sinhala-Buddhist diatribe fired by him. Resorting to his habitual anti-Sinhala-Buddhist accusations, he asks, inter alia, whether the Sinhalese can face their past. Like all communities in Sri Lanka the Sinhala-Buddhists have their share of guilt, no doubt, in exacerbating inter-ethnic relations. But before raising the calumnies against the Sinhala-Buddhists, he must first ask whether he can face his own past as a Tamil who had lived with the Sinhalese and benefited amply from it, without any discrimination. His case stands out as a success story of Sinhala-Tamil relations. It indicates the possibilities available for the future  when the Tamils join the Sinhalese for the good of each other. His personal history runs parallel with that of the Tamil community : both (Tamil community and Wigneswaran) have lived with the Sinhalese and benefited from that historical experience. The histories of both prove that the best periods in their lives were never greater than the time they spent with the Sinhalese. For instance, what were his chances of being an independent judge, with freedom to  uphold the basic principles of law that govern civilised societies, in Prabhakaran’s one-man quasi-state? Could he have survived in Prabhakaran’s Eelam if he gave a dissenting judgment that went against the interests of the Tamil Pol Pot? The Tamils suffered mostly under the Tamil leadership. Historical evidence confirms this (more of this later)  though the likes of Wigneswaran find it embarrassing to acknowledge it.

What he and his anti-Sinhala-Buddhist clones refuse to accept is that the crimes committed by the Tamils against the fellow-Tamils throughout their history far exceeds the crimes committed even by the Portuguese, the cruellest of foreign invaders, who went all out to destroy the Hindu culture in Jaffna in the 17^th century. Neither the Sinhala nor the Muslim leaders had exercised their political power to oppress and inflict so much of pain and suffering on their respective communities as the Tamil leadership, right up  to the time of Prabhakaran. The culture of subhuman political violence began with Sankili marching down to Mannar on the Christmas eve of 1544 and massacring 600 Tamil Catholics. He chopped their heads off because they owed allegiance to the King of Portugal and not to him. The intolerant  cult of Tamils oppressing and killing Tamils became the norm in Tamil politics after Sankili. It was revived and continued with vigour by Velupillai Prabhakaran. He became the 20^th century avatar of the  Sankili cult. He slaughtered every Tamil leader who had contributed to the Tamil cause more than he ever did. For instance, Neelan Tiruchelvam raised the profile of the Tamils internationally to a respectable height. Prabhakaran dragged it down to the level of despicable terrorists banned by the civilised world. S.C. Chandrahasan, son of the father of Tamil separatism, S. J. V. Chelvanayakam, and V. Anandasanagaree, the veteran leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front, are both on record saying that Velupillai Prabhakaran killed more Tamils than all the others put together. Anandasangareee argued that under Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike they had the democratic right to protest in Jaffna when she went to open the Jaffna University. But under Prabhakaran he could not even step into Jaffna.

Velupillai Prabhakaran was the natural off-shoot of the Sankili cult that darkened the history of Jaffna. Hate politics became the norm in the peninsula in the wake of Sankili. The Tamil historian, Mylvakanam, writing at the request of the Dutch Governor, Jan Maccra (1736) delineated the Sankili cult of violence in detail. He wrote: By the force of their (Catholic priests) preaching number of families embraced the Saththiya vetham at Mannar. As soon as Sangkili (sic) heard of this conversion he put six hundred persons to the sword without distinction of age or sex…….His insane fury longed for more  victims and he fell upon the Buddhists. The followers of Buddhism were all Singhalese, and of them there were many in this kingdom. By an order which he issued he expelled them beyond his limits and destroyed all their numerous places of worship. They betook themselves to the Vannis and the Kandiyan (sic) territories, and not one Singhalese remained behind nor ever returned hither.” ( p. 33 – Yalpana Vaipava Malai, (YVM) edited by C. Britto).

The Sankili cult that swamped Jaffna contains the insane fury” of Tamil hate politics that excludes the other” on notions of racist or caste superiority. Jaffna history is stained with the blood of the insane fury” of the Sankili cult. First came the massacre of the Catholics. It was followed by the ethnic cleansing of the Sinhala-Buddhists. Then came the expulsion of the Muslims. In contrast, the Catholics and the Muslims who were persecuted by the Dutch were given protection by the Sinhala kings in the South. In his account, Mylvakanam records these events faithfully. The details of the Muslim expulsion is graphic: After a time they (the Muslims) abandoned Usan and founded a new settlement in Nallur, on and around the site of Kantha-Suvami-Kovil. The Tamils viewed their presence with displeasure, as they thought that it might be detrimental to the cause of their religion when the time should come for the restoration of the temple. They tempted the Sonakar (Muslims) to leave the place, with money and entreaties, which when they found unavailing, they had recourse to a plan that proved effectual. They put a quantity of pig’s flesh into the wells of the enemy by night. When the defilement was discovered the Sonakar were in  great distress of mind. They could neither drink the water nor cook their meals with it, and they saw themselves driven to the necessity of choosing between starvation on one hand and emigration on the other. They chose the latter and sold their place for whatever money they could get from the Tamils and retired to the east of Navanthurai.” (p.55 – YVM).

Prabhakaran, the born-again heir to the Sankili cult,  repeated this crime against the Muslims in 1990. On the morning of October 30, 1990, the Muslims were given two hours’ notice to quit Jaffna, leaving behind their possessions or face death. The ethnically cleansed Muslim found refuge, as usual, in the Sinhala South. The Tamil political culture never produced a humane, democratic, liberal, pluralistic and tolerant culture in which the dignity of all the Tamils – let alone the non-Tamils — was given its due place. As a feudatory, as a colony of the imperial masters and finally as a proxy state of the Vellalas in the post-Vadukoddai Resolution (1976) period the Tamils were content to live under fascist rule as long as the rulers were Vellalas or their proxies. The quasi one-man state of Prabhakaran was the proxy state of the Vellalas. He made the Vellala dream of a separate state come true – at least as a quasi-state for a brief period.

The Vellala leaders like Sampanthan, and Ponnambalam had no qualms about paying pooja, on  bended knees, to him because they knew in their heart of hearts that it was the Vellala state which they could not  achieve under Vellala leadership. Realising that they had come to end of their political tether in the democratic stream, the ageing Vellala leadership urged the  Tamil youth, in the Vadukoddai Resolution, (1976) – the prime political manifesto of the Tamil Vellala leadership — to take up arms and never cease until they achieve Eelam. The Vellala elite pinned their hopes on the Tamil youth to wage the war against the Sinhalese. Prabhakaran came out of that Resolution. The Vellalas backed him to the hilt to achieve what they could not achieve with all their resources and political energy in the democratic mainstream.

The ultimate beneficiary of Vellala separatism was Prabhakaran. He went as far as he did essentially  because he was sustained by the Vellalas all the way. They financed him. They weaponised him. They internationalised him. They white-washed him to the world as their liberator – the most heinous killer of Tamils. They theorised and justified his obscene barbarism. In turn, he lorded over them like the way the Vellalas lorded over the dehumanised low-castes Tamils since the Dutch period. Ironically, the more  he eliminated the  Vellala leadership  the more they went on their knees and worshipped him as their Surya Devan”. The demonic terrorist leader, condemned and banned by the civilised world, was elevated to  the level of a demi-god by the Vellala Tamils because he was the last remaining hope of the Vellalas.  

Making a hero  out  of an internationally condemned terrorist who violated every conceivable human right, including recruiting under-aged children into his futile war, reflect the innate characteristic of the Tamil political culture which wallows in the cult of  Sankili violence. Prabhakaranism is the ultimate manifestation of the violent Tamil political culture: it is fascist, tyrannical, vindictive and subhuman. Historical and  ideological  factors make Prahakaranism a natural part of the Tamil political , culture.  First, the violence  unleashed in the Eelam War” was not alien to the Jaffna political culture :  it was accepted as a continuation of the traditional Sankili cult that was directed at eliminating  the other”. The killing machine honed by Prabhakaran was seen as a divine instrument to establish the first Tamil state. The leader in command of that killing machine attained the divine status of a Surya Devan”. The Vellala-directed Tamil diaspora, exhilarated and buoyed by the lethal power of Prabhakaran,  rushed to fill up the depleted war chest each time the LTTE killing machine piled up corpses. The flow of foreign cash increased exponentially with the number of killings which was read by the Tamil diaspora as a positive sign of an invincible force marching forward decisively to establish their elusive Eelam. Second, the  vapid and colourless Jaffna history lacks a towering hero who had glorified its past on an overwhelming scale. Trite and pedestrian histories do not produce epic heroes. However, in his early military successes, the Tamil diaspora saw Prabhakaran as the hero they never had in their history. What is more, they viewed him as the first Tamil with a potential to establish a state for the stateless 70 million Tamils in the world. They lionised the Tiger because the big cat was pulling their political chestnuts out of the Vellala fire. Or so they thought until Nandikadal.

Third, ideologically the Hindu culture sanctified militant  violence as  a sacred duty. The violence debated in the Bhagavad Gita is interpreted as an endorsement of militant violence. Fourth, the cult of violence was sanctioned by the supreme guru of the Jaffna Tamil Vellalas, Arumuka Navalar (1822 -1879). He recast Jaffna Hinduism and moulded the Jaffna Saivite culture to elevate the Vellalas to the level of the Brahmins. The low-grade Jaffna religious culture, unlike the classical Hindu  culture of India,  had Hinduism without the Brahmins. Navalar filled the vacuum by elevating the Vellalas to the level of the Brahmins. His ideological impact on the peninsular Hindu culture is far greater than his counterpart Angarika Dharmapala in the South. He wrote that  it is duty of Hindus to kill blasphemers and if they can’t then it is their duty to hire someone else who can do it. (See p. 80 – The Bible Trembled, R.F. Young and Bishop S. Jebanesan). Fifth, the Vellala ruling class/caste of Jaffna survived and thrived, particularly in the post-Dutch period,  on cultural (Thesawalamai) and physical violence. Thesawalamai which legalised caste slavery empowered the Vellala ruling caste to dehumanise and oppress the low-caste Tamils. Besides, as the majority community owning the commanding heights of the economy — land, temples, schools, government jobs  — they possessed the political clout to impose  their political will on the disempowered low-castes who  were reduced to subhuman species.

For instance, the thurumbars, the lowest of the low-caste, were denied even the right to walk in sunlight. Violence, including killings, became the norm in the Vellala culture that ruled Jaffna with a fascist iron-fist. Prof. Bryan Pfaffenberger of the Syracuse University, USA, in his authoritative studies of the Jaffna caste system, documented the misery of low-castes. In his essay on Political Construction of Defensive Nationalism: The 1968 Temple Entry Crisis in Sri Lanka he wrote: In Jaffna in the 1940s and 1950s, for instance, minority Tamils were forbidden to enter or live near temples: to draw water from the wells of high-caste families; to enter laundries, barber shops, or taxis; to keep women in seclusion and protect them by enacting domestic rituals; to wear shoes; to sit in bus seats; to attend school; to cover the upper part of the body; to wear gold earrings; if male, to cut one’s hair; to use umbrellas; to own a bicycle or car; to cremate the dead; or to convert to Christianity or Buddhism.”

The British courts and administrative reports confirm the caste violence that was delineated graphically in Kanal (Mirage) – a rare novel that depicted the grim plight of the powerless, helpless low-castes. It was written by  K. Daniel, a thurumbar, in the eighties when the Vellala leadership was chivvying the Tamil youth to take up arms, as stated in their Vadukoddai Resolution, accusing the Sinhala community of discriminating against the Tamils. These major factors explain why Jaffna failed to produce a humane, democratic, liberal, pluralistic and tolerant culture. It is this violent Tamil culture that denied justice, dignity and equality to the Tamils by the Tamils throughout their history.

Obsessed by notions of the caste purity and racist superiority the Tamil propagandists refuse to face this dark side of the Vellala-driven Jaffna culture. Their answer to this has been to divert attention away from their cruel culture  by accusing the Sinhala-Buddhists of discriminating against the Tamils. It began with G. G. Ponnambalam when he launched  his anti-Sinhala-Buddhist campaign in the thirties, and ignited the first ethnic riots in Navalapitiya.

The standard ploy of the Tamils was to pull the heart strings of the international community by posing as a minority victimised by  the majority. Playing this sympathy card worked to gain political mileage. It was a clever move because it enabled them to cover the fact that they were the most privileged community in Sri Lanka, having inherited the benefits of the patronage of the British colonial masters. Wigneswaran is a shining example of the privileges enjoyed by the the Tamils suffering under the yoke of Sinhala hegemony” (Quote from his article on Prof. Peiris). He knows, only too well, that without any discrimination or victimisation he got a free education from the most elitist state school and went through the usual loops until he ended up in the Supreme Court of the Sinhala hegemonic state”.  But it is their narrative of victimology that has gained currency. It has become the orthodox explanation for the North-South imbroglio. A narrative of victimology is easy to market because the tear-jerker delivers a simple message packed with emotion, Of course, the sporadic ethnic riots of the lunatic fringe of the provoked Sinhala-Buddhist community, restoring the language 75% of the people replacing English, the language of the colonial masters, the Indian Citizenship Act, relocating the Sinhalese in their traditional lands in the dry zone, which the Tamils called colonisation”, allegations of discrimination in providing government jobs are some of the key issues raised by the Tamil lobby to label the Sinhala-Buddhists as hegemonists”.  It is this version of victimology that has gone down as the orthodox political narrative. In common political folk lore the Sinhala majority is blamed for discriminating against the Tamil minority. It is on this narrative of victimology that the Tamil lobby goes round the world crying for dignity, equality and justice – the fundamental rights that were denied by the Tamil rulers to the oppressed Tamils throughout their history.

In summary, the Tamil lobby claims that the Tamils had not been given a fair deal by the Sinhala majority. But do the facts substantiate their claim?  If the Tamils are ready to face their past, fairly and objectively, they will agree that Wigneswaran, for instance, could not have got anywhere near the outermost  steps of the Supreme Court in Hulftsdorp if the Tamil accusation was true. Yet, knowing that it is untrue, Wigneswaran pretends to be a victim of the Sinhala state”. He rails against what he calls the yoke of Sinhala hegemony”. Commenting on Professor G. L. Peiris’s statement he wrote : He said in Bologna that ethnic or religious political parties in a Country do great damage. He referred to Muslims and Tamils in Sri Lanka saying they reached the pinnacle of political power and authority as members of (so called) National Political Parties. He said So there is no need for them to detach themselves from the national polity, to segregate, to compartmentalize the national polity by the formation and the emergence of political groupings that seem sectarian.”

Then he asks: Firstly to deal with Tamils in so called National Political Parties. Have they been able to obtain reliefs to the Tamils suffering under the yoke of Sinhala hegemony?” He has only to look in the mirror to find the answer: a Tamil judge wearing a wig of the Sinhala hegemonic state” staring back at him. But can he answer the Tamils who are asking a similar question from him: How much relief did those in the Northern Province get when he was Chief Minister?  Each time he points a finger at the Sinhala hegemonic state” he will discover that there are four pointing at him. When he was on the bench was he not tied to the yoke of the Sinhala state”? When he was yoked to Sinhala hegemonic state” as a judge of the Supreme Court did he not pull the cart like a dumb bull without a moo? Also, when he was sitting on the bench did he deliver Sinhala hegemonic” law or justice? His debasing hypocrisy does not elevate him in the eyes of the cognoscenti. He must come clean and accept the  truth of his past (more of it next week) before he decides to ask the Sinhalese whether they can face  their past.

As the old saying  goes, those who seek justice must come with clean hands. How clean are Wigneswaran’s hands?

Courtesy Adaderana

The Director General of Health Services has confirmed another 35 coronavirus related deaths for October 09, increasing the death toll in Sri Lanka due to the virus to 13,331.

According to the figures released by the Govt. Information Department, the victims confirmed today includes 18 males and 17 females. 

One of the deceased, a female, is below the age of 30 years while four of the victims are between 30-59 years. 

Meanwhile the remaining thirty fatalities are persons aged 60 years and above. 

Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Thushan Gunawardena, the former Executive Director of the Consumer Affairs Authority has lodged a complaint with the Kirulapone Police regarding suspicious behavior by an unidentified group in a white van near his house.

In his complaint, he claimed that the suspicious white van had arrived last Thursday morning.

He said that a neighbor had informed him that a person who was in the van had got down from it and checked the number on the gate.

Mr. Gunawardena alleged that although he had complained to the CID about a month ago that he had received death threats, the police has not recorded any statement from him.(Mudhitha Dayananda)

Courtesy Adaderana

The Ministry of Health says that another 160 persons have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, increasing the daily count of new cases reported today to 720. 

This brings Sri Lanka’s total number of registered Covid-19 cases thus far to 526,383.

Nearly 33,000 infected patients are currently undergoing treatment islandwide while total recovereis has surpassed 48,000.

Courtesy Adaderana

Courtesy Hiru News

Former President Maithripala Sirisena says that any leader will fail if they do not have an honest team.

The former President said this while participating in the 21st commemoration of Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike held at the SLFP Headquarters today.

Former President Maithripala Sirisena today recalled the singing ability of journalist Amarabandu Rupasinghe saying that that the only song he could sing was his name.

Meanwhile, posting a note on her Facebook account on the occasion of the 21st death anniversary of Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga stated that the present party leaders are blatantly destroying the Sri Lanka Freedom Party which Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike had cared for like a child for 40 years.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has further stated that the honor and respect that can be paid to Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike is the acceptance of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party by a group of honest youth who have the strength to resurrect the true Bandaranaike policies.

Courtesy Hiru News

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa states that the government does not stand for the interests of the farming community.

>He was addressing a farmers’ meeting held in Kokunnewa, Nochchiyagama in Anuradhapura today.

KAMALIKA PIERIS

The government of Sri Lanka issued a new gazette on elephants in 2021. It is titled    Fauna and Flora (Protection, Well-being and Regularization of Registration of Tamed Elephants) Regulations No. 01 of 2021”. This replaces Registration and Licensing of Tuskers and Elephants Regulations, 1991 published in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 662/4 of 14. May, 1991.

The new gazette is a treat to read even for those who do not own elephants. It is easier to register a baby or a car than it is to register an elephant.

The Gazette has three separate application forms, one for ‘Registration of a tamed elephant,’ another form for ‘Registration of an unregistered elephant that is currently in the custody of an owner’ and a third form for ‘Obtaining Elephants for a Historical or Cultural Procession.’

First registration.

The application form for the Registration of a tame elephant calls for the following information, address of the place where the elephant is kept, including province, district, divisional secretariat division and Grama Niladhari division.

The application must state whether it is an i) elephant, ii) tusker or iii) she elephant (sic). A DNA test must be done on the elephant and the DNA information stated in the application. The elephant must be microchipped and the microchip number stated. A certificate obtained from the Veterinary Surgeon with regard to microchip must be attached.

Information must also be provided on the mahout assigned to the elephant. His name, address, N.I.C. number, experience, awards, certificates received and medical certificate.

The prospective owner is thoroughly grilled.  Does the applicant own other elephants?  If so, number of elephants, registration numbers of such elephants, and how they were obtained. If any had died, was it a natural death or something else.

There is a separate section in the application form, headed The economic potential of the applicant to care for the elephant”. The owner of the elephant has to furnish bank reports, details of all income generation including any property. If property then the lands must be named and certified copies provided  with details for the last three years.

The applicant must   formally declare that  he has the potential to care for the elephant   and can ensure the well-being and protection of the elephant. But that  alone is not enough.

The applicant must  show that he can provide for the   following specific  needs of the elephant. He must show the way of getting food for the elephant, the way of getting water (to drink and bath) for the elephant, the way that the elephant is retained when in musth,  the  way of getting necessary treatments  and the way of obtaining transportation facilities for the elephant.  There are separate spaces in the form for these answers.

 If the elephant is used for peraheras, then the name (chapter) of the temple that obtains the elephant must be named and a detailed account of the procession and cultural activities done by the temple or devale must be given.

Approval

 Every application for registering an elephant has to go before an Examinations Committee which consists of    six persons,

i Additional Secretary from the Wildlife Ministry .He chairs the committee.

ii. Government Agent of the District within which the applicant resides

iii Additional secretary from Home ministry

iv. Deputy Director or Veterinary Surgeon of the Department of Wildlife Conservation

 v. Director of the Buddhist Affairs Department

vi Chairman, Secretary or Treasurer of the Tamed Elephant Owners Organization

The  application then  goes before a Recommendation Committee which consists of

(a)  Secretary ( sic)

[probably Secretary, Department of Wildlife Conservation]

(b)  Secretary to the Ministry which includes Public Administration

(c) Director General (sic) [probably DG, Wildlife conservation.]

(d) Commissioner-General of Buddhist Affairs

(e) Director-General of the Department of National Zoological Gardens.

The  application form  ends with space for two recommendations.

1. Recommendation from Association of  Owners of tamed elephants carrying the  Signature of the Chairman or Secretary Tamed Elephants Owners’ Association and the Official Seal. 
2. Recommendation from the Secretary of the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs / Commissioner General of Buddhist Affairs.

Data record Book.

The owner of an elephant  must maintain a Data Record Book and show it every six months to the Department of Wild Life Conservation. Data Record Book is issued by the Department of Animal production and Health  and contains:-(a) Data sheet;(b) Treatment history sheet;(c) Vaccination sheet. The  Data Record Book  must also carry photographs of the elephant. The front view of the head and trunk,  side view (Left) (3″x4″)  and side view (Right) (3″x4″)

Registering  an unregistered elephant.

 Application Form for the Registration of an unregistered elephant  presently in the custody of an owner   insists on photographs of the elephant, back , front and side. Front view of the elephant showing the head and trunk (3″x4″)Rear view of the elephant showing hind quarters and tail (3″x4″) , side view of the elephant(left) (3″x4″) and side view of the elephant(right) (3″x4″)

 Licence

The  application for a  Licence for the Registration and Detaining a Tame Elephant   wants further measurements in addition to the measurements mentioned above. Height up to the shoulder  must be stated in feet and inches and circumference of the front foot in inches. any other significant features or deformation of body parts must be recorded.

the licence is valid for a period of one year from the date of issue . It has to be renewed every year. The elephant therefore is like a car, not a baby. If such license is misplaced or stolen, the owner must inform the prescribed officer, the Divisional Secretary of the Division or the Officer in charge of the Police Station of the relevant area within which the elephant is usually kept. ( sic)

Renewal of licence

The application for renewal of licence must carry photographs of the elephant, front, back and sides as well as  height up to shoulder. also information on tusks,  length of right tusk in feet and inches, also left tusk .

Obtaining Tamed Elephants for a Historical Cultural Processions

if a Devalaya or a temple  wants an elephant for a perahera the trustee or the viharadhipathi of such Devalaya or a temple, must apply to the Tamed elephants Owners’ Organization, who will endorse the application and send it Commissioner General of Buddhist Affairs for recommendation.

if approval is given,  the Secretary to Buddha Sasana Ministry  must send the application to the Secretary , Wildlife,  who will then direct  either Director-General of Wildlife or the National Zoological Gardens, to send the elephant and keep a record of the matter.

the Application must provide detailed information on the proposed  perahera. its name, location,  procession route and time period. also it must indicate the facilities to be provided for the elephant,  such as size of its shelter, the provision of food  drink, water to bathe in, information on the mahout and the presence of a vet. These are all listed in the form.

Transport

Instead of the elephant providing transport, now  vehicles must transport the elephant.  but the elephant must not be transported continuously for more than twelve hours. The vehicle must be able to carry that amount  of weight, and must hold the required permit. it must have a minimum of  six wheels. Where two elephants are transported  the  vehicle must have at least ten wheels.

When any elephant is being transported, the vehicle must exhibit a board indicating that an elephant is being transported, and the speed of such vehicle shall not exceed thirty (30 km) per hour.

Living conditions

*Elephants must be provided with a stable or any other traditional natural elephant tethering with sufficient shade and ventilation in a clean and healthy environment with  suitable drainage system and waste disposal system;

*The height of the stable must suit  the height of the elephant

*The roof must be  insulated  with gunny bags, straw, cadjan leaves or such other material in order to minimize the heat inside the stable. if the roof  consists of iron or asbestos planks something must be done to minimize the heat inside the stable

*Where any natural elephant tethering is made, it shall be made under the shade of a huge strong ramified tree and  there must be facilities for resting the hind limbs of the elephant

* If the place in which the elephant is kept is exposed to lightning, a lightning conductor must be  fixed.

*When an elephant is in musth or agitated and requires to be tied, protective knots  made in accordance with the traditional methods  must be used.

*An  elephant shall be bathed not less than for two and a half 2 ½  hours daily except when transporting or on the days of the perahera.

*No person shall light crackers or shoot near any elephant except the traditional gun fire which is essential in traditional processions;

*An elephant shall be subject to a full medical examination by a Veterinary Surgeon or a Registered Traditional Doctor once in six months and this must be recorded in the treatment history sheet

* Every elephant shall be examined by a Veterinary Surgeon or Registered Traditional Doctor who treats elephants to ascertain whether such elephant is suffering from a nutritional deficiency or any other infirmity  If so, it must be given the food and  medicine prescribed. this must be endorsed when the permit is renewed

*Every elephant shall be allowed sufficient time to sleep and in the case of an elephant below five years of age, be allowed to sleep for a longer duration than that

*Any person who takes care of an elephant  must have more than three acres of land  for the elephant to use. In case of more than one elephant, one acre each shall be added for each   new elephant

*A trained and experienced mahout shall be engaged to take care of the elephant. The owner must make sure that the  mahout is not drunk when on duty.

*The mahout must follow the training programme conducted by the Department of Wildlife Conservation in collaboration with the Department of National Zoological Gardens and the Tamed Elephants Owners’ Organization.

Work conditions

**Timber or any other weight shall not be transported with the direct use of tusks or jaws of such elephant except in accordance with traditional methodology using mouth piece or harness

**The weight carried by the elephant in this manner shall be less than one third (1/3) of the weight of the elephant

**An elephant  must not be made to work in extremely unfavorable hot weather conditions

**When elephants are decorated for functions, using lights, generators or any other dangerous electricity supply shall not be used and batteries with a minimum electric power  must be used to prevent any harm to the elephant;

**an elephant must not be made to walk for long durations on tar roads during extremely hot weather conditions except for perahera or bathing

**An elephant shall not be engaged in any work during the night except for a procession

**An elephant must not be made to swim across dangerous waterways or rivers. (continued)

තරුණ හා ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යාංශය,සංවර්ධන සම්බන්ධීකරණ හා අධීක්ෂණ අමාත්‍යාංශය,ඩිජිටල් තාක්ෂණ හා ව්‍යවසාය සංවර්ධන රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යාංශය.

ශ්‍රී ලංකා මලල ක්‍රීඩා කණ්ඩායම පසුගියදා ඉන්දියාවේ පටියාලෙහි දී පැවති 60 වන ඉන්දියානු ප්‍රාන්ත අතර මලල ක්‍රීඩා තරගාවලියට සහභාගී වී දිවයිනට පැමිණි පසු ඔවුන් නිරෝධායනය කටයුතු සඳහා මාතර නිල්වලා නිරෝධායන මධ්‍යස්ථානය වෙත යොමු කර ඇත.

නිරෝධායන කටයුතු සඳහා මාතර නිල්වලා නිරෝධායන මධ්‍යස්ථානයේ පවතින පහසුකම් ප්‍රමාණවත් නොවන බවට මෙම කණ්ඩායම කළ ඉල්ලීමෙන් අනතුරුව PCR පරීක්ෂණ නිකුත්වීමෙන් පසු ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යාංශයේ මැදිහත්වීමෙන් එම කණ්ඩායම නිරෝධායන කටයුතු සඳහා සුගතදාස හෝටල් පරිශ්‍රය වෙත ගෙන්වා ගැනීමට කටයුතු කර තිබිණි.

එහිදී සුගතදාස හෝටලය වෙත යොමු කළ පළමු දිනයේදී ම කණ්ඩායමේ කිහිපදෙනෙකු විනය විරෝධී ව කටයුතු කර ඇතැයි සැළ වූ වහාම ඒ සම්බන්ධව විනය පරීක්ෂණයක් පැවැත්වීමට ශ්‍රී ලංකා මලල ක්‍රීඩා සංගමය ත්‍රිපුද්ගල කමිටුවක් පත් කළේය.

ක්‍රීඩක ක්‍රීඩිකාවන් තිදෙනෙකු, පුහුණුකරු හා කළමනාකරු සම්බන්ධයෙන් වූ චෝදනා පිළිබඳව අදාළ කමිටුවේ විනය පරීක්ෂණ වාර්තාව ශ්‍රී ලංකා මලල ක්‍රීඩා සංගමයට යොමු කිරීමෙන් පසු අදාළ නිර්දේශ ක්‍රීඩා සංවර්ධන දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවට පසුගිය අගෝස්තු මස ඉදිරිපත් කර තිබිණි.

කණ්ඩායම භාරව කටයුතු කළ කළමනාකරු ඒ.එස්.එන්. අබේසේකර, පුහුණුකරු විමුක්ති ද සොයිසා, ක්‍රීඩක කාලිංග කුමාරගේ, ක්‍රීඩිකා සෙලින්ඩා ජැන්සන් හා ඩබ්ලිව්.වී.එල්. සුගන්ධි සඳහා විනය තීරණ ලබා දී ඇත.

ඒ අනුව මලල ක්‍රීඩා සංගමයේ ත්‍රිපුද්ගල විනය කමිටුව විසින් අදාළ දඬුවම් පැනවීමට තීරණය ලබාදුන්  2021.08.16 දින සිට ඉදිරියට අදාළ දඩුවම්  ක්‍රියාත්මක විය යුතු බවට ක්‍රීඩා සංවර්ධන දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව ශ්‍රී ලංකා මලල ක්‍රීඩා සංගමය හා අදාළ ක්‍රීඩක ක්‍රීඩිකාවන්, පුහුණුකරු සහ කළමනාකරු දැනුවත් කළේය.

මේ යටතේ ක්‍රීඩක ක්‍රීඩිකාවන්ට මාස 04ක් සඳහා උසස් දක්ෂතා පුහුණු දීමනාව අත්හිටුවීම, ක්‍රීඩා දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ දේපල පරිහරණය තහනම් කිරීම, පුහුණුකරු හා කළමනාකරු සඳහා මාස 06ක හා වසරක ජාත්‍යන්තර තරග සඳහා සහභාගීවීම අත්හිටුවීම අදාළ විනය ක්‍රියාමාර්ගයන්ට අනුව දඬුවම් ලෙස ක්‍රියාත්මක වේ.

අභිමානවත් ජවසම්පන්න තරුණ පරපුරක් බිහි කිරීමේ දී විනය ප්‍රමුඛ කාරණයක් වන බැවින් ක්‍රීඩක ක්‍රීඩිකාවන් ඇතුළු සියලුදෙනා තම විනය පවත්වාගැනීම සම්බන්ධව ඉතා වගකීමෙන් කටයුතු කළ යුතු අතර අනාගත පරපුරට වැරදි පූර්වාදර්ශ ලැබීම වැළැක්වීම සඳහා නිරෝධායනයට යොමු කළ හෝටලය තුළ දී විනය නීතිරීති හා නිරෝධායන නීතීරීති ද උල්ලංඝනය කරමින් සාදයක් පැවැත් වූ මලල ක්‍රීඩා කණ්ඩායමේ මෙහි නම් සඳහන් අයවලුන්ට ඉහත පරිදි දඬුවම් ලබාදෙන බව ක්‍රීඩා සංවර්ධන දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජනරාල් අමල් එදිරිසූරිය මහතා අවධාරණය කළේය.

මාධ්‍ය ඒකකය,  

තරුණ හා ක්‍රීඩා අමාත්‍යාංශය,සංවර්ධන සම්බන්ධීකරණ හා අධීක්ෂණ අමාත්‍යාංශය,ඩිජිටල් තාක්ෂණ හා ව්‍යවසාය සංවර්ධන රාජ්‍ය අමාත්‍යාංශය.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

ලෝක තැපැල් දිනය නිමිත්තෙන් කාණ්ඩ තුනක් යටතේ මුද්දර නිකුත් කිරීම අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් අද (09) දින අරලියගහ මන්දිරයේ දී පැවැත්විණි.

ලෝක තැපැල් දින සමරු මුද්දරය, නිත්‍ය කාණ්ඩයේ රුපියල් 1000ක මුද්දරය සහ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ අවේනික පක්ෂීන් විශේෂ ඇතුළත් තේමාත්මක මුද්දර කට්ටලයක් මෙලෙස නිකුත් කෙරිණි.

ජනමාධ්‍ය අමාත්‍ය ඩලස් අලහප්පෙරුම මහතා ඊට අදාළ මුල් දින කවර සහ මුද්දර අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතාට පිළිගැන්නුවේය.

අදට යෙදෙන ලෝක තැපැල් දිනය වෙනුවෙන් නිකුත් කළ ලෝක තැපැල් දින සමරු මුද්දරය -2021, කොවිඩ් 19 වසංගත තත්ත්වය තුළ වුවද මෙරට තැපැල් සේවාව ජාත්‍යන්තර වශයෙන් ක්‍රියාත්මකව පවතින බව  පිළිබිඹු කරමින් පුලස්ති එදිරිවීර මහතා විසින් නිර්මාණය කර තිබේ.

රුපියල් 1000ක නිත්‍ය කාණ්ඩයේ මුද්දරය යාපහුව සිංහයා පිළිබිඹු කරමින් අතින් අඳින ලද රේඛා සහිත ග්‍රැෆික් චිත්‍රයකි. ඉසුරු චතුරංග මහතා මෙම මුද්දරය නිර්මාණය කර ඇත.

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ මෙතෙක් මුද්දර වලින් පිළිබිඹු නොවූ මෙරටට ආවේණික පක්ෂීන් නිරූපනය වන මුද්දර 6ක් සහ මුල් දින කවර හයක් ද මෙලෙස අද දිනයේ නිකුත් කළ මුද්දර අතර වේ.

අළු කෑදැත්තා, හීන් කොට්ටෝරුවා, වන කොවුලැස්පටියා, පුල්ලි වල් අවිච්චියා, මහ රතු කෑරලා සහ බඩ රතු වැහිලිහිණියා යන පක්ෂීන් එම මුද්දරවලින් නිරූපනය වේ. පුලස්ති එදිරිවීර මහතා මෙම මුද්දර කට්ටලය නිර්මාණය කර ඇත.

මෙම අවස්ථාවට ජනමාධ්‍ය අමාත්‍යංශයේ ලේකම් ජගත් පී. විජේවීර, තැපැල්පති රංජිත් ආරියරත්න, නියෝජ්‍ය තැපැල්පති (මෙහෙයුම්) රංජිත් කේ. රණසිංහ, නියෝජ්‍ය තැපැල්පති බස්නාහිර පළාත-දකුණ  ඩබ්ලිව්. කේ. ඒ. සිසිර කුමාර, මුද්දර කාර්යාංශයේ අධ්‍යක්ෂ ශාන්ත කුමාර මීගම, දේශීය ආදායම් කොමසාරිස් ජනරාල් එච්.එම්.ඩබ්ලිව් බණ්ඩාර මහත්වරු ඇතුළු මුද්දර කාර්යාංශයේ නිලධාරි පිරිසක් එක්ව සිටියහ.

උපුටා ගැන්ම ලංකා සී නිව්ස්

කාබනික පොහොර භාවිතයෙන් වගා කිරීමේ තීරණය ජනාධිපතිවරයාට දෙන ලද ලණුවක් බව පේරාදෙණිය විශ්ව විද්‍යාලයේ මහාචාර්ය බුද්ධි මාරඹේ මහතා සඳහන් කරයි.

ඊනියා විද්වතුන් බොරු ඉදිරිපත් කිරීම කර ජනාධිපතිවරයා රවටා ඇති බව ද ඔහු කියා සිටියි.

කාබනික පොහොර ගෙන්වන සමාගමේ දේශීය නියෝජිතයා දේශපාලන සම්බන්ධකම් ඇති පුද්ගලයෙකු බවත් ඔහු පෙන්වා දෙයි.

කාබනික පොහොර තනිකරම මාෆියාවක් බවත් දැන්වත් මෙම තීරණය අකුලා ගත යුතු බවත් ඒ මහතා පවසයි.

එසේ නොකළහොත් ලඟදීම මහ සාගතයක් ඇති වන බවද ඔහු සඳහන් කළේය.

අන්තර්ජාල නාලිකාවක සාකච්ඡාවට එක්වෙමින් ඔහු මෙම අදහස් පල කරන ලදී.

By Rohana R. Wasala

Sadly, outside Sri Lanka, little known are the Sinhala language and the ethnic community known as the Sinhalese who have spoken it as their native tongue over the millennia. Both have been eclipsed by Sri Lanka’s huge northern neighbour India with its teeming millions speaking diverse languages, with none of which Sinhala has any dialectal relation (i.e., Sinhala had its own distinct historical origins and evolved in an entirely different geographical location, the small island of Sinhale or Ceylon, today called Sri Lanka). A natural concomitant of Yohani’s rise to stardom is that, for most people in the world, it opened a window on the Sinhala language and the Sinhalese who are the majority in Sri Lanka. Yohani is an ethnic Sinhalese. My purpose here is to provide some background information, or add a kind of footnote to this additional advantage that Yohani earned for her motherland.

SHIDDAT – JOURNEY BEYOND LOVE” is a Hindi language film made under the banners of T-Series and Maddock Films Pvt Ltd in India. Yohani is reported to have signed a contract with the first. The film was released on October 1, 2021 (a week ago). The official female version of the theme song of this film was sung by Yohani de Silva of Sri Lanka. 

My daughter learnt some Hindi at school and later on she picked up a bit more of it on her own.  She translated Yohani’s Shiddat song into Sinhala for me. And I have here put it into English, also with her help. I wish to share it with those of  my interested readers, who like me, have little or no Hindi. (Both translations – Sinhala and English – like all translations are only approximations. But our attempts, I think, are close enough in literal meaning and suggested imagery to the original for them to recapture at least some of the Hindi song’s mysterious magic. Yohani’s singing is emotionally captivating. The unique mesmerizingly ethereal quality of  her gently lilting voice emanating from her slender svelte sylphlike figure is, I think, her chief strength as a singer. Her melodies, lyrics and singing (she often accounts for all three elements), while being avante-garde,  echo the classic Sinhala  musical rhythms.

මා ඔබ පුදන්නම් 

ඔබ මාගේ දෙවියන් කොට මා ඔබ යදින්නම්. 
මා යදිමි, ඔබ සමගම සිටින්න,
එවිට මගේ හිස ඔබ උරතලයේ රඳන්න ලැබේවි 

හුයක් ගැට ගසා භාර වෙන්නම්
ඔබේ රුව මා හදවත නම් කඩදාසිය මත අඳින්නම්
ඔබ තුල වාසය කරන්නම්, නික්ම නොව කිසිදා
මා වෙත ආ මැන, මා ඔබ පුදන්නම්

ඔබ මාගේ ඉරණම කරගන්නම්
ඔබ මාගේ ප්‍රේමය, පැතුම කරගන්නම්
ඔබ මාගේ හදවතේ යාඥාව කරගන්නම්
ඔබ තුල වාසය කරන්නම්, නික්ම නොව කිසිදා
මා වෙත ආ මැන, මා ඔබ පුදන්නම්

ඇයි අප අතරේ දුරස් බවක්?
අපේ  ගමනාන්තය එකමයි
නමුත් අපේ මං වල ඇයි මෙතරම් වෙනසක්? 

මා ඔබ හට පෙම් කවියක් ලියන්නම්
ජලයේ පවා අත් අකුරින් ලියන්නම්
මාගේ හඬ හැමවිට ඔබට අනුනාද දේවි
මා වෙත ආ මැන, ඔබ මාගේ ආශාව කරගන්නම්

මේ මුලු සාගරය මාගේ හෘද සාක්ෂිය වේ
මේ මා ආදරය දෝ මා දවන පාපය දෝ
ඔබ මාගේ උසාවිය වී, දඬුවම ද ඔබ වන්න
මා වෙත ආ මැන, මා, ඔබ පුදන්නම්

Shiddat – Votary of Love

I’ll make you my divinity and pray to you
I pray, I want you to stay with me
Then I’ll be able to rest my head on your shoulder

I will tie a thread and give myself up to you
I will draw your image on the paper of my heart
I will reside in you, never leaving you,
Please come to me, I will revere you!

I will make you my destiny
I will make you my love and hope
I will make you the prayer in my heart
I will reside in you, never leaving you
Please come to me, I will revere you!

Why is  this big difference between us?
Our destination is the same
But why is this difference between our paths?

I will write a love poem for you
I will write it even in water
My voice will always ring to you
Please come to me, I will make you my desire!

All this ocean is my conscience
Is this my love or my sin burning me?
You be my court of justice, and my sentence as well
Please come to me, I will exalt you!

Although, the Sinhalese are the majority (numbering just over 16 million) within Sri Lanka, they are a global minority of about 17 M. The Sinhalese and their language – in spite of their very long history and their still vibrant existence – are being overshadowed by the adjacent India with its huge multilingual population of nearly 1.4 billion; Hindi being the most common tongue in that country. Hindi is taught, at least in some Sri Lankan schools as a subject in higher grades (OL and AL). Ordinary Sri Lankans also pick up some Hindi from Hindi films and film songs. Classical Sinhala music has also been heavily influenced by North Indian musical genres. Yohani’s ‘Manike Mage Hithe’ and other songs display classic Sinhala rhythms interlaced with Hindustani musical elements. 

Sinhala is the mother tongue of the ethnic Sinhalese who account for well over 75% of Sri Lanka’s population. They are indigenous to the island and have a written history of over 2500 years. That recorded history dates from the time some sort of invasion seems to have come from Vanga Desh in north-eastern India, and initially subjugated them. A Vanga prince by the name of Vijaya who led the invasion was considered the progenitor of the Sinhala race. In excavations carried out in the inner city (Atul Nuwara) of Anuradhapura, the ancient capital of Sri Lanka, in 2009, under the supervision of the late Dr Shiran Deraniyagala (who died on October 5, 2021, at the age of 79), once the Director-General of Archaeology in the Department of Archaeology, prehistoric evidence (potsherds with Brahmi writing, fragments of gold jewellery, horses’ teeth, pieces of broken bricks, an underground channel, etc) was found that suggested that there had existed an earlier civilized society that predated the alleged arrival of Vijaya by about three hundred years. Dr Deraniyagala showed that the indigenous people who comprised that pre-Vijayan community were the Yakkhas, who were the real ancestors of the Sinhalese. The local woman Kuveni that Vijaya befriended according to the legend was actually a Yakkha princess. The Yakkhas’ prehistoric beginnings in the island are lost in the mists of time.  The language of  those people was the prototype of the Sinhala language. That was the language that Thera Mahinda, who officially introduced Buddhism to Sri Lanka under emperor Asoka of Bharatha (India) during the reign of king Devanampiya Tissa of the island of Lanka  in 236 BCE, used to explain the doctrine to the native people, the Yakkhas.

So, Sinhala is a very old language with a separately evolved script. The sacred scriptures of Buddhism which are in the Pali language, the language spoken by the people of Magadha of ancient India  – The Three Pitaka or the Three Baskets – which had come down orally were committed to writing at a Buddhist monastery called Alu Vihara (Aloka Vihara or Shrine of Light) in Matale in central Sri Lanka in the first century BCE, i.e., more than two thousand one hundred (2100) years ago, during the reign of king Valagambahu (89-77 BCE). The script used for that purpose was Sinhala, because Pali did not have a script of its own. Even today Pali texts are transliterated in different orthographies (Sinhala, Thai, Burmese, Khmer, Roman, etc.) In its long history, the contact with Pali, Sanskrit and other Indo-Aryan languages has greatly influenced the vocabulary of Sinhala. The Sinhala sound system (vocal sounds – consonants, vowels, semi-vowels, etc., are unique to it, which makes Sinhala sound entirely different from Dravidian languages like Tamil and Malayalam, which also have borrowed from Sanskrit (the language of Hindu sacred texts like the Bhagavad-gita). But Sinhala usually sounds close to Hindi. Many ordinary Hindi words are comprehensible to Sinhala speakers like Yohani. Sinhala is even closer to Bengali in its phonological and lexical aspects. The Indian national anthem Vande Mataram I bow to thee Mother) is in heavily Sanskritised Bengali. Hindi and Bengali speakers seem to have understood the Sinhala word Ma” (which actually means I”) in Yohani’s Manike Mage song as meaning Mother”; so lyric writers have composed songs on Mother India using the melody of Yohani’s Sinhala song. This linguistic kinship with North India is one reason why Yohani’s songs are catching on in India so fast.     

KAMALIKA PIERIS

Elephant activists in Sri Lanka say keeping elephants in captivity in private premises is a form of animal cruelty. What they have in mind is Buddhist temples and devales. They plan to take legal action if elephants in custody are returned to temples.

They point out that countries like the USA and UK are recognizing elephants as legal persons. Legal Person does not mean becoming an ordinary person. It is a created category which permits a court of law to discuss that category. An item must be recognized as a legal entity before law courts can give orders about it.

This notion of giving objects the status of a legal person is not new. U.S. courts have determined that corporations can be legal persons.New Zealand   has recognized the Wanganui River as a legal person.  The Maori wanted it. Ships have also   been recognized as legal persons. Two animals have been recognized as legal persons. Argentina’s Cecilia the Chimpanzee and Columbia’s Chucho the Bear, were recognized as legal persons, to get them taken out of their cruel environments.

In the USA this emancipation movement is led by an advocacy group called the Nonhuman Rights Project NhRP’. This Project is working to change the legal status of great apes, elephants, dolphins, and whales to legal persons, who will have certain rights in court.

The selection of animals is significant. These four   animals are important species of wildlife in the eco tourist trade in Africa and Asia. They are tropical animals, not temperate ones.  They have no place in the USA. The animals important to USA, those in the dairy and meat trade are not included in this list.

The NhRP Project started in 2013 with lawsuits on behalf of four captive chimpanzees in New York. They selected chimps because of the similarity of chimps to humans. The four chimps were Hercules and Leo, two 8-year-old chimpanzees being studied by a researcher at Stony Brook University, Tommy, owned by a couple in Gloversville, near Albany and Kiki, from Primate Sanctuary in Niagara Falls. The group wanted to transfer these four chimpanzees to a sanctuary in southern Florida, where they would live on a five-acre island with 25 to 30 other chimpanzees.

The case went all the way to appeal court and lost.  Court decided that humans are persons because they’re humans, and that chimps aren’t persons because they’re not humans .also that chimps were not able to bear responsibilities and carry out social duties. Journalists called this case the NhRP’s first rodeo.

Then NhRP’ turned to elephants. Elephants might stand a better chance than chimps, they thought. Apes are so close to us that it makes some people uncomfortable. Judges may view us in a different way when we’re dealing with an animal that doesn’t look anything like us but has many of the same characteristics, the Project said.

The Project moved to Connecticut as the legal system there was more hospitable and looked around for an elephant to defend there. The Project found three elephants in a small traveling circus, an outfit which lacked the money to oppose them.

Three elephants in Connecticut just got a lawyer though they did not ask for one said one headline. The trio of elephants, Beulah, Karen, and Minnie, never asked for legal representation, but they got one all the same, it said.

Minnie, Beulah and Karen are elephants who for decades have belonged to a family-owned, traveling zoo in Connecticut. The three elephants, ranging in age from 45 to 50, were captured as wild animals when they were young and have been used for decades in traveling circuses, fairs, and even birthday parties. Over the years, they’ve also been hired out for appearances in advertisements, movies and weddings. The indignant owners said the elephants were well looked after and were treated as family.

The Project filed habeas corpus petition on behalf of the elephants, arguing that they are legal persons” with a right to liberty and asking the Connecticut Superior Court to order their release to a sanctuary. The Project wishes to send them to Animal Welfare Society’s ARK 2000 natural habitat sanctuary.  It was the first-ever nonhuman rights lawsuit filed on behalf of captive elephants .The Project lost that case too.

Then the Project decided to take on an elephant in a major zoo. They picked the elephant Happy in Bronx Zoo in New York. Happy’s companion had died and Happy was all alone in the zoo. Happy, was the star of a landmark 2006 Sciencestudy describing how elephants can recognize themselves in mirrors, which is considered a measure of human-like awareness. The Project went to court to obtain the release of Happy who would be transferred to a sanctuary in California with more space and the company of other elephants.

The argument presented was that elephants have many of the qualities of humans. To support their case, the NhRP collected affidavits from nearly a dozen prominent elephant experts.

These affidavits cited the elephant’s empathy, self-awareness and long-term memory, as well as the ability to use calls and gestures to discuss, plan and execute a course of action. They engage in innovative problem-solving, as well as cooperative problem-solving, the Project said. They know their past, they know they’re in the present, and they can plan a future.” Elephants are lot like humans, and are entitled to physical liberty just like humans.

The Project did not win this case either. But their activities aroused interest in the whole issue of animals as legal persons. In the United States, animals are regarded as property.  If animals are granted personhood they will have negative rights,” which means the right to not be subjected to certain actions like confinement at zoos and medical experimentation.

If the elephant was made a legal person, that could usher in profound changes in legal status for animals, said analysts in USA.   Animal advocates could then work their way through the animal kingdom, moving from elephants and chimpanzees to other creatures. People might claim personhood for farm animals. We kill millions of animals a day for food in the USA.”  There was also fear that the human-animal distinction will be broken.

 Rather than rights, lawyers suggest better animal-welfare protections.  The appropriate way to deal with concerns about captive animals is through expanded animal welfare laws. Animal welfare has already conferred legal rights on animals.

Regardless of how Happy’s case is decided, the legal landscape for animals is changing said analysts. in USA an Oregon court ruled that animals could legally be considered victims of crimes. The Animal Legal Defense Fund has pushed for animals to be covered by the Freedom of Information Act. Ethicists have suggested property rights for wild animals threatened by development, labor rights for working animals, and the use of citizenship theory as a framework for thinking about animal rights. Domestic animals might be treated as full-blown citizens, wild animals to members of other nations.

In 2014, Nonhuman Rights Project said it was expanding its work into other countries, beginning in Switzerland, Argentina, England, Spain, Portugal, and Australia. It is only a matter of time before the Project    arrives in Sri Lanka.

Befriending elephants in USA will be very different to championing elephants in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankans will point out that   there is a long standing elephant culture in Asia. Bones of Asian elephants excavated at Mohenjodaro in the Indus Valley indicate that elephants were tamed and used for work. Decorated elephants are depicted on seals. Sri Lanka had its own thriving elephant culture, which included a symbiotic relationship between the population and elephants.

A law suit saying the Sri Lanka   elephant is a legal person will be coming soon to the law courts of Sri Lanka. It will focus on the tusker Bhanu. There will be much trumpeting. (Concluded)

Nava Thakuria

Geneva/Guwahati, 8 October 2021 : The number of journalists dying of
Covid-19 are still growing globally, where at least 1830 scribes have
succumbed to the novel corona virus infection in 83 countries since
March 2020, revealed Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the Geneva-based
global media safety and rights body. India after showing some
improvements in the last few months, once again starts losing media
workers to corona crisis this month.
The populous country witnessed the demise of three scribes because of
corona complications  within the first week of October.
Bhubaneswar-based senior Odia journalist Vivekananda Dash died of
Covid-19 on 6 October. Dash (70), who worked for Janatantra, Sambad,
Eastern Times, Organiser etc, passed away while undergoing treatment
at a private hospital. Earlier, Kochi-based cartoonist C J Yesudasan
(83) died of post corona complications on the same day, who was
preceded by another Odisha scribe Satyajit Mohapatra (44) losing his
battle on 4 October to the virus infection.
Given the new variants, the PEC warns that the number of journalists
who have died from Covid-19 is likely to reach the 2,000 marks by the
end of 2021. ‘Journalists on the ground remain one of the most exposed
professions. The number of registered victims has slowed down since
June, but the vaccination rate remains insufficient in many
countries,’ said Blaise Lempen, general secretary of PEC
(https://pressemblem.ch/) adding that some politicians, also a section
of media, continue spreading false information about vaccination at a
high cost.
Till date, more deaths have been reported from Brazil, where  282
journalists lost their live to corona related complications. India is
just behind with 275 journo-corona casualties, followed by Peru (198),
Mexico (121), Colombia (78), Bangladesh (66), USA (61), Italy (60),
Venezuela (55), Ecuador (51), Argentina (45), Indonesia (41), Iran,
Russia (33 each), United Kingdom (31), Dominican Republic, Turkey (28
each), Pakistan (27), Nepal (23), Bolivia (20), Honduras (19), South
Africa (18), Egypt, Panama (17 each), Spain (16), Ukraine (15) etc.
During July, August and September, India lost only five journalists
to corona related illness. We witnessed the demise of only two
journalists  namely Gautam Das (70) from  Agartala and Syndor Singh
Syiem (67) from Shillong because of Covid-19 in the last two months,”
said Nava Thakuria, PEC’s India representative, adding altogether
three scribes namely Lairenjam Bijen Singh (45, Imphal), Rajiv Ghosh
(59, Kolkata) and Manik Lal Das (58, Kumarghat) succumbed to Covid-19
complications in July.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මාධ්‍ය අංශය

වෙහෙරගලින් හමු වී ඇති ලෝක ප්‍රසිද්ධියට පත් අවලෝකිතේශ්වර බෝධිසත්ත්ව ප්‍රතිමාවේ අනුරූ ප්‍රතිමාවක් මධ්‍යම සංස්කෘතික අරමුදලේ අධ්‍යක්ෂ ජනරාල් පුරාවිද්‍යාඥ මහාචාර්ය ගාමිණී රණසිංහ මහතා විසින් ඊයේ (07) දින අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මහතාට අරලියගහ මන්දිරයේ දී පිළිගන්වන ලදි.

වෙහෙරගලින් හමු වී ඇති අවලෝකිතේෂ්වර බෝධිසත්ත්ව ප්‍රතිමාව ක්‍රි.ව.7,8 සියවස්වලට අයත්ය. අවලෝකිතේශ්වර බෝධිසත්ත්වයන්ගේ කරුණාව,මෛත්‍රිය වැනි ගුණාංග නිරූපණය කෙරෙන මෙම ප්‍රතිමාවේ ශරීරාංග ද මැනවින් පිළිබිඹුව ඇත.

වම් පාදය පහතට දමා වම් අත බිම තබා ගෙන සිටින මෙහි දකුණු අත විතර්ක මුද්‍රාවෙන් යුක්ත ය. මෙම ප්‍රතිමාවේ දක්නට ලැබෙන විශිෂ්ට  කලාත්මක ලක්ෂණ හේතුවෙන් එය ලෝක ප්‍රසිද්ධියට පත්ව ඇති බව මහාචාර්ය ගාමිණී රණසිංහ මහතා පෙන්වා දුන්නේය.

මධ්‍යම සංස්කෘතික අරමුදලේ නිර්මාතෘ ආචාර්ය රෝලන්ඩ් සිල්වා මහතාගේ සංකල්පයක් මත ආරම්භ කළ බිතුසිතුවම්, වාස්තු, මූර්ති පුරාවිද්‍යා සියවසට සාපේක්ෂව මධ්‍යම සංස්කෘතික අරමුදල මුද්‍රණය කළ ග්‍රන්ථ මාලා 100ට ශිව මූර්ති ග්‍රන්ථය ද  ඇතුළත් විය.

මධ්‍යම සංස්කෘතික අරමුදලේ මාධ්‍ය අධ්‍යක්ෂ ලලිත් උදේෂ මධුභාණු විසින් ශිව මූර්ති ග්‍රන්ථය මෙහි දී අග්‍රාමාත්‍යතුමාට පිළිගන්වන ලදි.

මේ අතර මධ්‍යම සංස්කෘතික අරමුදලෙන් මෙරට පාඨකයන් සඳහා විශේෂ වට්ටම් සහිතව සහන මිලට මාර්ගගත ක්‍රමය ඔස්සේ පොත් සහ අනුරූ අලෙවි කිරීම බුද්ධශාසන ආගමික හා සංස්කෘතික කටයුතු අමාත්‍යාංශයේ ලේකම් දේශබන්දු මහාචාර්ය කපිල ගුණවර්ධන මහතාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් පසුගිය සැප්තැම්බර් 16 වැනිදා සිට ආරම්භ වී තිබිණි. මෙම වැඩපිළිවෙල ලබන දෙසැම්බර් 31 දක්වා දීර්ඝ කිරීමට ද මෙහි දී තීරණය විය.

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය ලේකම් ගාමිණී සෙනරත්, බුද්ධශාසන,ආගමික හා සංස්කෘතික කටයුතු අමාත්‍යාංශයේ ලේකම් මහාචාර්ය කපිල ගුණවර්ධන, මහාභාරකාර තැන්පත් නීතීඥ ගනේෂ් ධර්මවර්ධන මහත්වරු අතුළු මධ්‍යම සංස්කෘතික අරමුදලේ නිලධාරීහු මෙම අවස්ථවට එක්ව සිටියහ.

By Lakshman I. Keerthisinghe Courtesy Ceylon Today

If slaughter houses had glass walls the whole world would be vegetarian” – Linda McCartney-US Musician and Photographer

PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, few months back submitted a proposal to ban cattle slaughter in Sri Lanka. The Parliamentary Group of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) approved the Prime Minister’s proposal. It is well known that meat consumption is the cause of many ailments.

 As Linda quoted at the outset states if people observed the misery suffered by animals at slaughter houses they would undisputedly become vegetarians.

 Innocent animals being dragged into slaughter houses and slaughtered, drained of blood cut into pieces packed sent to supermarkets and sold generates money for those engaged in the trade. Irrespective of religious beliefs human beings are generally kind and humane in nature.

 The pets they nurture as their own children bear testimony to this fact. The desire for meat or fish consumption do not interfere in this morally reprehensible activity leading us to spend out hard earned money to buy flesh for consumption. 

In ancient Sri Lanka cattle slaughter was banned by kings of yore and our forefathers were great farmers who used carbonic fertilizers and produced rice, vegetables and fruits to maintain a healthy strong population. The banning of agrochemicals which lead to many diseases was indeed a wise move by the President although some hardships have to be faced initially.

 Each year some 77 billion land animals and over 100 billion marine animals are slaughtered for food around the world. It is a holocaust, and it is the longest, most colossal holocaust in all of history. 

And on what grounds do we, as consumers, justify our contribution to this holocaust? The core of the issue is this – if it’s unnecessary to kill and eat animals to survive, what justification do we have for doing so? Animals have been victimised by man to such a massive degree that they aren’t even considered victims anymore. They are mere commodities with number tags, stripped of the inherent value of being a sentient being. But in reality they are living, feeling beings just like human beings, and they are the most oppressed helpless beings on earth. 

What they are going through is a terrible suffering of proportions unparalleled to satisfy human greed for flesh. In issues of injustice, we must always see things from the perspective of the oppressed, not the oppressor. 

Remove yourself from the perspective of a human and for just a moment try to imagine being a prisoner from birth, being torn away from your loved ones, living a miserable life denied of freedom, and then, finally having your throat slit so that someone may feast on your flesh for some momentary pleasure. A consumption pleasure that costs that animal its entire life. This is how it is for factory farm animals, and for any other non-human being reared for its flesh. 

How do we morally justify doing these things if it’s not a dire necessity? Are one’s taste buds worth more than the entire life and wellbeing of an animal? In a democratic State.one’s decision to consume animal products is a personal choice, and being a personal choice, vegans should stop condemning animal eateRs Live and let live, as they say. Well, vegans ought to stop condemning people for their choices once animal eaters stop condemning animals to slaughterhouses to have their throats slit open so they can enjoy a burger or a meat curry. 

Something is no longer a personal choice when there’s a victim involved, Marketing labels and advertisements of ‘happy cows’ distract people from the grim reality, so that they can make a profit off exploiting animals. A good example of this is the term ‘free range.’ When we see those ‘free range’ labels on eggs in the supermarket, we assume the hens that produced those eggs live a good life, wandering around freely, and most importantly, living without fear, exploitation or pain. However, it is very much the opposite. 

Free range hens come from hatcheries where male chicks are thrown into a blender to be macerated alive within moments of their birth, all because they are viewed as a waste product. Female chicks and egg-laying hens are shoved in small cages with such little space that they can’t even turn around or lie down.

 In conclusion, although the sentiments expressed in this article may not be appreciated generally,as the great majority in the world consume meat, a day will dawn when human beings of their own volition would give it up as the corona pandemic has taught a lesson to humanity on what suffering is. In the meantime, Prime Minister’s laudable proposal on banning of cattle slaughter must be supported by all kind, humane, right thinking Sri Lankans irrespective of diverse religious beliefs. 

Writer is an Attorney-at-law with LLB, LLM, MPhil. (Colombo). keerthisinghel@yahoo.co.uk 

 by Moiz Mustafa Courtesy NewsIn.Asia

Colomb, October 8 (newsin.asia) – Condé Nast Traveller announced the winners of its annual Readers’ Choice Awards, ranking the best hotels, resorts, cities, countries, islands, villas, tours, trains, airlines, airports, and cruises in the world.

The 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards is the third year running Condé Nast Traveller has teamed up with its sister title in the USA. With restrictions lifting and the industry unlocking, responses from more than 800,000 readers reveal travellers are raring to go, with the majority saying they wanted to take more trips now than ever before and to seek out new destinations.

In a year when travel was more wishful thinking than reality, this browse through the virtual holiday album will help inspire a whole year of adventures, close by and far from home.

The best countries to travel to as voted for by Condé Nast Traveller’s readers in the Readers’ Choice Awards 2021 are:

Best Countries

1. Portugal
2. New Zealand
3. Japan
4. Morocco
5. Sri Lanka

Courtesy NewsIn.Asia

Colombo, Oct 8 (NewsFirst) – September has marked a remarkable increase in tourist inflow, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Board Statistics states.

Accordingly, the highest number of tourist arrivals within 2021 were marked in September, with 13,547 tourists visiting Sri Lanka as opposed to the previous month, August, of 5,040 tourists.

The total number of tourists who visited Sri Lanka during several instances the country was reopened during the first few months of 2021 was 37,924.

This adds up to 35% of the total number of tourist arrivals taking place within only the past month.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority Upul Dharmadasa previously said that 400,000 tourists are expected to arrive in the country by November and December.

Courtesy Outlook

Seema Guha’s recollections of the violent days in Jaffna in 1987. When a fragile truce between the Lankan army and the LTTE fell apart.

As the Sri Lankan Air Force plane from Colombo took a sharp turn over the sea to land in Palaly air­­port, I looked out at the breathtaking view below: turquoise waters glistening in the morning sunlight, a few sailboats lazily skimming the water. There was hope in the air that October morning in 1987. The India-Sri Lanka peace agreement signed in July had temporarily stopped the endless fighting. There was an air of optimism; Sinhalese workers who had fled the fighting trickled back to their old jobs.  

Palaly airport brought you to Jaffna, provincial capital of Tamil majority Northern Province—stronghold of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. This was where Tiger chief Prabhakaran, the reclusive leader who operated from Mul­­l­­aitivu held sway. I had arrived in Colombo about four months ago, just about three years into the profession and was excited to have got an interview with Prabhakaran. The meeting was scheduled for the evening; I had to be at Jaffna University headquarters of the LTTE, from where I would be escorted to a secret location.

I took a broken-down Morris Minor taxi (all cabs were of the ’50s and ’60s vintage) to Jaffna, an hour’s drive from Palaly. The air force controlled air operations but the military, earlier deployed in Jaffna, was now confined to the Dutch fort. The Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was everywhere in Jaffna, keeping peace and taking stock of weapons surrendered by the LTTE. Prabhakaran had insisted during negotiations that his boys would not hand over arms to the Sri Lankan military. Everyone knew that the Tigers were handing over old, discarded weapons to the IPKF. The Indian army didn’t press the issue.

The drive to Subhash hotel in Jaffna took over an hour; I rattled along at a snail’s pace through the lush green countryside dotted with tall coconut trees.

In Jaffna, news trickled in by early aft­ernoon that the Sri Lankan Navy had stopped an LTTE boat off Point Pedro with 17 Tigers, including some important commanders aboard. The navy said the boat was smuggling arms across the Palk Straits and refused to let off the men, saying the accord did not give immunity for those carrying arms.

Defence Minister Lalith Athulatmudali was told that Pulendran, the man believed responsible for the massacre of a busload of civilians, including Buddhist monks, was among those captured. For the Sinhala Buddhist majority outraged by the atrocity, this was a chance to get even. Lalith insisted that the 17 would be flown to Colombo to face trial for bringing in arms. The Tigers asked the Indians to ensure that the men, held at Palaly airport, are not handed over to Colombo. Rumours began circulating that if the cadres were forcibly taken to Colombo, the orders were to use the cyanide capsule each wore around the neck. They were to die rather than spill out vital information under torture.  

Hearing all this, I took a taxi straight back to the airport. Being the only journalist there at that time, it was easy to persuade the IPKF to let me talk to Pulendran.  

He looked nothing like a fighter. Wearing a white, half-sleeved shirt over a pair of cotton trousers and rubber chappals, he looked like any other young man in Jaffna. I asked him if he had instructions to kill himself. He said no. It was apparent that Pulendran knew his time was up. But he wistfully recalled that he had been married for just two months and would love to see his wife, to say goodbye to her.

I was shaken by the meeting and got in touch with Yogi, the LTTE political secretary. I asked him if Pulendran’s last wish could be fulfilled. It was impossible, Yogi said. Seeing his wife could weaken his resolve to take the cyanide capsule. But, I argued, the cyanide capsule has been removed when he was captured. Yogi said there were ways to sneak one in.

Negotiations between the LTTE, India, and Sri Lanka continued through the day. By late afternoon, Sri Lankan forces came in to take charge of the men. The LTTE had managed to sneak in the capsule. Pulendra used it and died before he could be flown to Colombo.

The death of the ‘heroes’ was ann­­­ounced over the public address system in Jaffna. People with grim faces gathered in street corners. An air of despo­ndency hung over the town. I stepped out at dusk to go to Jaffna University, where the LTTE had an office.

Outside, Jaffna was like a war zone. Tiger cadres, who till then had ref­rained from displaying weapons, were out in strength, brandishing AK-47s. Motor bikes carrying armed LTTE men sped by frenetically. Shops downed their shutters; there was not a taxi in sight. I got one willing to drop me, but was told I had to find my way back to the hotel.

The LTTE office was manned by young boys in battle fatigues carrying assault rifles. I waited for Yogi. He walked in around 10:30 pm and gave me the bad news: my interview has been scrapped. He bitterly complained that New Delhi had not bothered to exert enough influence on Jayawardene and Athulathmudali to save Pulendra and his companions. Around 11: 45 pm, Yogi and three other cadres escorted me back to the hotel.

As soon as I entered, I was told that the owner wanted to see me urgently. The elderly Tamil gentleman had an urgent request. He said he had five Sinhalese staff-members, whose lives were in danger. He wanted me to take them to the IPKF camp for safety. At 4:30 am, he would have a car waiting for me.

I was told that the very same Yogi had stormed in around 8 pm, demanding that the Sinhalese workers be handed over. They had been sent for safety to the owner’s home.

I woke up to a dreadful sight. At the bus stop next to our hotel lay the bodies of 10 Lankan soldiers who were held prisoner by the Tigers before the peace pact was signed. They were shot in cold blood; their bodies bore marks of torture. The Sinhalese manager of a cement plan was similarly shot.

The Sinhalese waiters were petrified; I was trembling with shock. They crouched at the back of the van that was plastered with press stickers. We reached Jaffna fort, which was occupied by the IPKF, with a small detachment of the Lankan army. I called the Colonel and said that I wished him to shelter the five workers.

His immediate reaction: Please don’t bring the Sinhalese here. I don’t want them. It is your problem. I cannot take charge of these chaps.” Fuming, I went to the Lankan camp and made the same request. They happily agreed and promised that they would be sent back to Colombo. As I came away, I realised I did not even know the names of the Sinhala boys.

(This appeared in the print edition as “Fright Nights”)

Courtesy Finance in Bold

Sri Lanka’s cabinet has issued a go-ahead to form a committee that will oversee a possible venture into digital banking, blockchain, and crypto mining solutions.

A press release from the Department of Government Information notes that the new focus on digital solutions is part of attracting foreign investment in the fields highlighted.

The committee has also been tasked with ensuring that in the event of blockchain adoption, it should come up with means of preventing money laundering, terrorism financing, and other criminal activities related to the technology.

The necessity of developing an integrated system of digital banking, blockchain, and cryptocurrency mining has been identified to pace on par with the global partners in the region while expanding trade to the international markets,” the department said.

The committee that comprises five members will borrow a leaf from approaches adopted by other jurisdictions like Dubai, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and the E.U.

Courtesy Adaderana

Milk powder, wheat flour, LP gas and cement have been excluded from the list of ‘specified goods’ through Extraordinary Gazette notifications. 

The gazette notification have been issued by the Chairman of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA).

Courtesy Adaderana

The Director General of Health Services has confirmed another 38 coronavirus related deaths for October 08, pushing the country’s death toll due to the virus pandemic to 13,267.

Accorindg to the figures released by the Govt. Information Department, the Covid-19 deaths reported today includes 20 males and 18 females.

Twelve victims are aged between 30-59 years while the remaining 26 are ages 60 year and above. 

Courtesy Adaderana

The Director General of Health Services has confirmed another 38 coronavirus related deaths for October 08, pushing the country’s death toll due to the virus pandemic to 13,267.

Accorindg to the figures released by the Govt. Information Department, the Covid-19 deaths reported today includes 20 males and 18 females.

Twelve victims are aged between 30-59 years while the remaining 26 are ages 60 year and above. 

BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS

Many Sri Lankans have misunderstood the meaning of economic disciplines and they also misapprehend economic disciplines in broader terms. When introduced market economic strategy in 1978, the attention of policymakers was broadening trade policies relating to imports and other aspects of trading, including investments. The simple purpose of economic liberalization in connection with political aspects was for businesses to show full of consumer items on the supermarket shelves and small shops of villages. In short, the market policy accommodated shops for imported items. The shortage of consumer items was a significant rhetorical argument during the election in 1977 and the elected government wanted to show shelves of shops with consumer items. It was a political strategy to attract voters to the government side and indirectly helping rich countries to promote exports to Sri Lanka and attract foreign aids to the country. Mr. Colvin R.de Silva described this situation as promoting window shopping. He further explained that the economic policy allowed people for marketing with empty pockets because the open market policy discouraged gaining revenue by many working-class employees and promoting a production-based economy.

The positive aspect of the market economic policy was producers found a market and price for products. The meaning of economic disciplines broadly explains to take effective controls to prevent disadvantages that possibly create to the economy by imposing bountiful regulation in various economic activities. The best examples were Singapore, Australia, and many Western countries, where broadly used tariffs to prevent the unnecessary volume of imports. Many economic policymakers of Sri Lanka were confused with the idea and how the deregulation concept operated in Western countries and how they adapted the policy without harming their economic advantages and domestic production process. With Singapore, international politics is associated with the market economy. For example, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan attracted foreign investments as an effect of the Cold war, and these countries were strengthened by American investments. Australia uses market regulatory authorities and the ombudsman role to prevent disadvantages to lower-income earning people.

The deregulation in Western countries was supporting market expansion. Product quality was the secret weapon of marketing products with consumers’ confidence in other countries. The market has been a critical requirement to expand the economy with higher aggregate demand. In Sri Lanka, disciplines had not been implemented since the operation of the market economic system in 1978. The deregulation in developed countries meant removing barriers to expand the market and opening the economy to the outside world, and the intention of opening the economy was to expand the export market.

Economic disciplines are a broader concept related to many areas of the economy and may be related to removing regulations that restrict the expansion of the economy. When regulation is removed, the economy opens for competition, which may support the lowering prices of goods and services while improving the product and service quality.

Investors can bring money from outside and promote entrepreneurship, encouraging investors to discover new markets, products, and make profits. The market competition would remove dishonest entrepreneurs and attract capital from internal or outside. It is a theoretical aspect. Many economics textbooks explained the situation and abundant strategies associate with marketing such as trade agreements, cooperation-related memorandums, and many others.

However, in Sri Lanka, there is about 15% population is crying for strict regulation promoting restrictions for their advantages and the cry of this group of people undermines disciplines and justice. Justice should be everybody and economic disciplines do not mean helping only unproductive people. For example, it can take pricing of rice, and rice price must be at the level that farmers encourage to produce more and when the production level increases, the price will reduce to an equilibrium level, and, for example, Japan is rice consuming country and the regulation system would not allow importing rice for domestic consumption. In Sri Lanka, major issues relating to rice are increasing production and distribution among consumers.        

The opening economy to the outside world doesn’t mean that the entire economy may float in the way without controls and economic advisors of the government had not been understanding the concept intending to regulate.